All That We Lost
by BeautifulandBroken
Summary: Six months after the events of the Last Jedi, Rey has been exiled to Ahch-To after being falsely accused of murdering Snoke. She begins to fear that she is now truly alone when she is visited by a most unlikely guest. She soon finds that maybe - just maybe - it isn't too late to redeem Ben Solo and find her purpose in all of this.
1. Chapter 1: The Weight of the World

**A/N:** This is my first attempt at Reylo fic. This story has been in my head for over a year now, and I finally got the nerve to start writing it down. It takes place following the Last Jedi - how I envision parts of Episode IX. There will be lots of sadness, angst, joy, and yes, eventual smut. Please be patient with me. I have a plan for these two.

 **Chapter 1: The Weight of the World**

"The weight of the world is on top of me and I wouldn't have you anywhere else."

~ Anberlin, "Heavier Things Remain"

Rey felt it. She felt it the very second it happened.

She had been practicing forms with her staff atop the ledge as she did every morning since she'd been back on Ahch-To. The sunrise that morning had been spectacular. The twin suns had streaked colors of gold and amber through the towering clouds as she awakened to greet the new day. Rey had consumed her normal breakfast, retrieved her staff and satchel, and headed up to the cliff she knew all too well. There she sat cross-legged in silent meditation until she could feel the flush of warmth from the rising stars flooding her cheeks. She stood and took her staff in hand, going through the plethora of forms she had fashioned all on her own.

Then, suddenly, Rey felt it again. The sinking feeling in her stomach that something was just not right. The feeling was nothing new. She had felt it before… the very moment Luke Skywalker had passed to the Netherworld of the Force.

She placed her hand to her waist and sank to her knees. The Force rushed through her being like the tide violently crashing to the jagged rocks below. Rey steadied herself with her right hand, her fingers seeking purchase on the hard ground beneath her. The world around her began to shake and hum as if building toward a climax that threatened to shatter her surroundings and send her hurtling into the far reaches of the galaxy.

And then… everything was still and silent. It was like nothing had ever happened and yet it had. A single tear slid down the curve of her cheek and she knew.

General Organa was dead. The leader of the Resistance was dead. _Leia_ was dead.

Her heart ached and she openly wept, leaning back on her knees and screaming with as much force as her lungs would allow. The echoes of her cry soon returned and she collapsed against the stony slab atop the cliff. She felt rage, grief, and resentment all at once. It was as if her parents had abandoned her all over again. She was now truly alone.

 _You're not alone._

Rey remembered his husky, deep voice as it resounded inside the chambers of her mind. Her body jerked upright at the thought of him.

Ben Solo. Kylo Ren. Whatever name you chose to call him, it made no difference. Rey was still angry at him for rejecting her and choosing the Dark over the Light. She had been so convinced that she would be the one to save him, to pull him out of the darkness and bring him into atonement. After he'd killed Snoke in order to save her, she knew he would surely follow her back to the Resistance. But no, what a fool she had been. He had chosen his fate long ago. She had failed. She had failed the Resistance. She had failed Leia. Ultimately, she had failed herself.

And he had also betrayed her. Sold her out to the First Order as a murderer. Falsely accused her of killing the Supreme Leader when he knew good and well it was he who had done the deed. In turn, he'd seized the opportunity to take the throne for himself. Word had spread quickly throughout the galaxy over the past six months of the rebel who took down the Supreme Leader, the orphan girl from Jakku. A bounty was set on her head and hunters were out in full force seeking her whereabouts, forcing her into exile to the farthest place she knew existed. The only other person who had seen the island was him. He'd seen it in her mind, caught glimpses of it through their bond. His treachery cut through her like a knife once more at the thought. She cursed herself for allowing him to see her at her most vulnerable.

Then, she felt it. Like the ghost of a hand resting on her shoulder. The weight of it was so real, but it couldn't be. Rey was the only person on the island beside the Lanai, the island caretakers, who never bothered her during her early morning routine. She drew in a sharp breath, careful not to move in fear that it may disappear. Overwhelming calm coursed through her being, radiating out from her shoulder all the way to her fingers and toes.

It was Leia. Rey closed her eyes and swore she could even smell her floral perfume. How was it even possible.

"What has come has now passed. The present is all we have." Leia's voice was low and serene. It was the most beautiful sound Rey had ever heard. "Rey, you have everything you need. The time has come."

Rey saw a vision of her broken saber. Whether the image was placed there by Leia or Rey had willed it into her mind herself, she didn't know. But she knew in an instant what she had to do.

Still, she hesitated.

"But I don't know how," Rey protested, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Luke is gone. You're gone. Ben has… I don't have anyone to show me."

"You _do_ know," Leia responded, her sweet voice swiftly changing to exasperation.

Rey's mind immediately shifted to an image of the ancient Jedi texts she had stowed away aboard the Millennium Falcon. Of course, the old books could show her how, and she could repair anything set before her, but how would she even begin to read them? She only knew a handful of languages and most of those were native to Jakku. She couldn't possibly be able to decipher an ancient text.

"May the Force be with you always, Rey," Leia spoke once more and then her presence faded. The weight of the hand on her shoulder lifted.

It seemed like hours had passed when Rey finally opened her eyes. She blinked furiously and wiped away her tears, wondering if it had all been a dream. She stood and peered out toward the other islands that peppered the distance between hers and the horizon. She could feel the hum of the shattered saber calling to her from the satchel as it rested on a nearby perch. Turning, she moved closer toward the thrumming sound and reached out her head. The stone perch instantly started to rattle, spilling the contents of the satchel onto the ledge, including the twin shards of the saber. They made a clanging sound as they landed on the stone, rolling to a stop right at her feet. Rey bent down and retrieved the two halves, one in each hand. Taking a deep breath, she gathered up her belongings and headed back down the cliff.

A million thoughts swirled inside her head. Her experience with Leia on the ledge had left her dazed. The weight of the galaxy was now on top of her and she knew it. She felt confused, scared, unworthy… how was she supposed to rebuild the saber and defeat the First Order single-handedly? The Resistance had shrunk immensely in numbers to only a handful of weary soldiers and wannabe rebels. The battle on Crait had left her feeling hopeless that they could ever succeed.

And those dark, downtrodden eyes… those eyes that had peered up at her with such hurt and yet so much expectancy as she ushered the others aboard the Falcon. For a moment, she had thought he might change his mind and come with her, but it was too late. She literally had closed the door on that chapter of her life and never looked back.

Rey shook away the memory and then realized _he_ might be the only one who could help her now. She wondered briefly if he too felt the moment his mother had passed. She silently hoped he wasn't the perpetrator behind her death. She hoped it wouldn't send him spiraling further into darkness.

After a few minutes, her feet found the base of the cliff and began the descent down the beach toward the Falcon. The slosh of the current and the distant sound of screeching porgs provided the soundtrack for her journey, doing little to calm her nerves as she neared the massive ship.

 _Rey_.

The sound of her name almost like a whisper made her stop dead in her tracks. She knew that voice. She could feel the Force bond opening and she almost felt lightheaded.

 _This can't be happening_ , she thought angrily, dismissing his voice, and continued on her way toward the Falcon.

 _Rey!_

The voice was now one of desperation. Rey immediately felt the overwhelming feeling of dread. She paused and looked up toward the sky. Just as she did, the clouds abruptly parted and a black mass cut through the sky like meteor headed right for the island.

Rey gasped and watched as it spun out of control, leaving a trail of smoke and fire in its wake.

Dropping her belongings, she promptly ran toward the doomed spacecraft as it hurled toward the water just off shore. The ocean below greeted the unknown ship with a violent splash within seconds, causing Rey to hold up her hands to shield herself from the inevitable spray of debris. When the shock of the impact had passed, her chest heaving breathlessly, Rey peered through her fingers at the black ship as it slid with the current toward the sand.

A shiver shot through her being. It was a First Order TIE-Fighter. But not just any TIE-Fighter.

It was _his_.

~.~

 **A/N:** Thank you so much for reading! Please leave kudos and/or comment to let me know what you think. I hope to update every week going forward. I'm also on Twitter if you'd like to chat - DazzledbyJake.


	2. Chapter 2: Two Worlds Collide

**Chapter 2: Two Worlds Collide**

" _What's the worst that could happen when two worlds collide?"_

 _~Anberlin, "Birds of Prey"_

Rey stood motionless in disbelief, staring blankly up at the burning TIE-Fighter that had now come to rest on the shore. The ship was now a mangled mess of fire and smoke. The long, pointy wings that jutted out from each side were crushed beyond repair. The only intact part of the ship was the cockpit, which had suffered only minor damage with a few broken window panes.

Even though the cockpit had been left virtually unharmed, the Force bond had severed only moments ago, and Rey began to fear for the worst.

Was he… _dead_?

She gasped and woke from her reverie, darting toward the broken ship, her boots leaving deep footprints in the sand. No matter how angry she was with him, she couldn't just stand by and let him die. Not like this. Mending her saber would have to wait.

Adrenaline pumping through her veins, Rey climbed up the side of the cockpit and reached the top hatch within seconds. Her hands frantically pulled on the lever that would release the hatch and allow her entrance, but it wouldn't budge; it was jammed. Panic began to set in, and then Rey remembered something that Luke had once told her.

 _Use the Force_ , he had said. But in her mind, his voice sounded different somehow. Like a distant voice from her past, one she couldn't quite recognize.

Rey had only used the Force a handful times - to retrieve a lightsaber in order to defend herself and again on Crait to lift the boulders that had blocked the Resistance fighters from exiting the path through the mountain. One of those times had left her saber shattered and broken in two seemingly-irreparable pieces.

At that point, Rey knew she didn't have any other options. She quickly positioned herself on the side of the cockpit and raised her hand steadily toward the hatch. Closing her eyes, she imagined her fingers pressing down on the lever and releasing the door. The Force flowed through her, extending outward through her fingers in an endless wave; it felt as if her hand was actually wrapped around the lever, but yet it wasn't. It was the most exhilarating feeling she had ever had. Suddenly, a loud, popping sound boomed in front of her, causing her eyes to open. She watched as the hatch door flew straight upward and violently hurled itself several yards across the beach.

"Whoa." Rey smiled, proud with herself.

"Rey." The soft moan escaped the confines of the cockpit. He was alive.

"Ben!" She sank to her knees, peering into the dark opening, and blindly stretched out her hand into the blackness of the cockpit. "Grab my hand!"

A few agonizing moments passed before a gloved hand pressed into hers and grasped hold. Shooting sparks from the power-couplings rained over Rey as she began to pull his massive body from the cockpit, eventually using both arms to pull him to safety. She dragged him down the beach several paces before her strength and lungs finally gave out. His large body fell to the sand and she collapsed on top of him, exhausted, her head coming to rest against his chest. Her right ear pressed against the black fabric of his tunic, and she could hear the faint, rhythmic strumming of his heart.

Rey raised her head and pressed her ear to his mouth, intently listening for any sign that he was still breathing. She sighed in relief when he took a small but steady breath.

"Ben," Rey called to him, her lips mere inches from his face. "Can you hear me? Are you _hurt_?"

When he didn't respond, Rey placed her hands on both sides of his face, attempting to wake him. He still didn't stir. At least she knew he was alive for now.

Not really knowing what to do next, Rey stared down at his pale face, marked with small scratches from the crash. Several curls from his ebony hair were matted to his forehead, and she brushed them away, running her fingers softly through the remaining strands. Rey drew in a breath, and his scent, a mixture of sweat, blood, and smoke, flooded her nostrils. Unconscious, he seemed rather peaceful and serene; a mirror image of the prince he used to be, not the monster she knew lay just beneath. If it wasn't for all the villainy, murder, and hunger for power, she would even say he was rather beautiful.

Absentmindedly, Rey began to trace her finger down the jagged scar that lined his face and extended further down his neck and torso. She had done this to him, marred his spotless flesh with her lightsaber during their first duel at Starkiller Base. She heard him sigh at her touch as if it comforted him.

Rey had so many questions she wanted to ask him. Why had he come here? Did he still desire to turn her to the Dark Side? Why had his ship been on fire? Had he been shot down in battle? Had he abandoned the First Order? _And how in the holy name of the Jedi did he find her?_ She had done such a good job covering her tracks, not even telling the Resistance where she was headed when she fled the newly-established base on Canto Bight.

"Ben." Rey tried to wake him again, her eyes now falling on a spiked shard of glass protruding from the base of his neck. She debated whether she should remove it when she heard the familiar call of the Lanai as they rushed down the beach toward them.

Rey immediately dismounted him and watched the dozen or more stocky caretakers waddle through the damp sand, two of them carrying what appeared to be a makeshift stretcher. When they reached her, they didn't say a word; they just swiftly lifted his unconscious body and positioned it gently on the stretcher.

"Wha-what are you doing?" Rey demanded of them, trying unsuccessfully to get their attention. "He-he's fine! I've got this all under control!"

The Lanai turned and gave her dismissive looks, several of them shouting angrily in their native tongue. Rey couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but she could tell it wasn't pleasant. They hadn't quite forgiven her for blowing a hole in one of their huts with her blaster months ago. And with Luke Skywalker gone, they hardly even acknowledged her presence.

" _Where_ are you taking him?" Rey vehemently called after them. "Answer me!"

Ignoring her, the Lanai began to trudge their way back down the beach and carry him farther away from her. Furious, Rey gathered up her discarded belongings and took off after them, cursing their name under her breath.

~.~

Morning became afternoon. Afternoon became evening.

Rey sat alone atop her usual cliff, peering out at the ocean as the twin suns began to descend beyond the horizon. The frigid wind was starting to pick up in speed and chill her to the bone. She quickly draped herself in her gray poncho and shivered in an attempt to fight off the stinging, icy air.

With a glance over her shoulder, Rey's eyes fell upon the small trio of huts several paces behind her. The Lanai had taken the wounded Supreme Leader into the largest of the three dwellings many hours ago. She assumed they had taken him on as their patient, attending to his wounds and caring for him until he regained consciousness whenever that might be.

Rey had tried numerous times to enter the hut just to catch a glimpse of him, but the Lanai had shut her completely out. When she attempted to climb in through one of the windows, a heavy stone was immediately shoved into the hole, pinching her fingers and sending her to the ground with a thud. Even utilizing so-called Jedi mind tricks on the Lanai was useless. She had learned from Luke Skywalker during her first stay on the island that they had somehow grown immune to Jedi powers.

Rey continued to survey the hut, which soon became illuminated by candle light shining through one of the open windows. She couldn't believe how worried she was about him, how much she cared. Wasn't he her sworn enemy now? The Dark to her Light. Maybe she worried she would cease to exist without him. Even with Snoke out of the picture, the Force was still connecting them. Maybe it wasn't too late to redeem him, and this was just the chance she needed.

Oh, how she hated him for it.

Rey sighed, shaking away her thoughts, and figured she should at least eat some dinner before heading back to her hut on the far side of the island. She began to stand when something fluttered down beside her, causing her to jump.

It was a small porg, one she had lovingly taken in as a pet when its mother had died. The brown and white speckled porg squawked and cooed as it nestled into her lap, tucking its webbed feet under its body. Smiling, Rey gently pat it on the head.

"Hello, Finn," she greeted the creature she had endearingly named after her friend. "Where have you been all day?"

The porg looked up at her with those large black eyes as if it understood what she was saying. It let out a soft squeak in reply.

"Really? Well, my day has just been brilliant." Rey gazed back out toward the ocean, stroking the porg's back. "I rescued a man from a burning ship and all the thanks I got was a slammed door right in the-."

"You named it after FN-2187. Of course, you did."

The deep voice came out of nowhere, sounding more derisive than inquisitive.

The Force bond had ripped open, startling Rey, which in turn sent the porg screeching and flying off the ledge. Standing, she hurriedly searched her surroundings for him, but he wasn't there. Yet she had heard his voice, and the Force was buzzing all around her. Had he awakened?

"Ben?" She called out into the cold night. "Are you there?"

"Yes," he replied. The sound of his voice seemed to roll off the crisp wind as it whipped about her cheeks.

Rey's hands clenched into fists.

Anger swirled about her. She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to tell him how much he had hurt her, how she ached every time she thought of him. She wanted to punch his chest until she hadn't any strength left, until her fists were bloodied and bruised.

But she couldn't. The words just wouldn't come out.

"Where am I?" The disembodied voice asked,"Skywalker's island, I presume?"

"Yes," she said, gritting her teeth. "Why are you here?"

"There was a mutiny. Hux found out what happened in Snoke's throne room and turned the whole First Order against me. They attacked the rebel base on Canto Bight." His tone was pained as if it almost hurt to speak. "I followed the Dreadnaughts there, but I was too late. Hux had already murdered General Organa - my mother. I saw his face flash into my mind as if I was looking through her eyes. The next thing I knew, I was hit with cannon blast and landed here."

Rey hugged her shoulders and shut her eyes. He _had_ felt it too. And now, the Resistance was broken, unjustifiably stripped of their leader. She feared they wouldn't survive much longer without her.

"How did you find me?" she wondered, turning her back to the direction of his voice.

"I don't know." He sighed, distraught. "I know it sounds unbelievable, but I felt a hand on my shoulder right before the blast hit my ship. Whatever it was led me straight here."

Of course, it all made sense to her now. Leia had led him back to her. The slain general had known the only way to win this war was to return him to the Light.

Rey gulped, knowing that it wouldn't be easy to turn someone that dark and broken back to the Light, someone who didn't think he was worthy of that light. She had so much weight bearing down on her shoulders - Ben Solo's fate and helping the Resistance win the war against the First Order. How was she supposed to do all of this? She was just an orphan from Jakku, who spent most of her life looking out for herself, only just months ago leaving her old life behind. Why did it all depend on her?

Just as the thought passed through her mind, he let out a piercing cry of agony. The identical sound reverberated from behind the stone walls of the hut behind her. The Force bond instantly shattered like glass, and she hoped he wasn't already dead by the time she could reach him.

 **A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope to update again next weekend. Bring tissues; it's going to be a doozy! Come chat on Twitter - DazzledbyJake!**


	3. Chapter 3: Sympathy for the Devil

**Chapter 3: Sympathy for the Devil**

" _Memories circle like birds of prey, waiting for the right mind to drive insane."_

 _~Anberlin, "Birds of Prey"_

It had been days since he'd crash landed on Ahch-To. Despite her many desperate efforts, Rey still wasn't allowed to see him, and she wondered why the Lanai were being so secretive. Did they know something she didn't?

Before one of those attempts, which had occurred the very same night he arrived, he'd screamed out in such extreme anguish that Rey had feared for the worse. When she'd reached the hut where he lay unconscious, the Lanai just shooed her away, whispering assuring words in their native language. She managed to interpret them as "safe" and "worry not."

Exasperated, Rey had huffed and marched away from the hut, returning a few minutes later with two blankets and pillow. She'd rolled the blanket out in front of his hut and laid down, defiantly staying close to him in case he had another episode. As she pulled the thick blanket over her body to shield her from the chilly, night air, Rey had closed her eyes and succumbed to sleep rather quickly. It had been quite an exhausting day, both physically and emotionally.

Over the next few days, she'd kept herself busy, going through her normal routine of breakfast, practicing forms with her staff, and silent meditation. She'd made a habit of checking in on him throughout the day, seeing if he'd awakened and making sure the Lanai weren't doing anything vile to him. She wondered if they knew who he was, that he had killed the former Supreme Leader of the First Order and taken on the title for himself. Did they know all the terrible things he had done? Did they know he had Skywalker blood? Is that why they were taking such good care of him? For Luke's sake? That had to be the reason; they'd never shown any affection or care toward Rey in the slightest.

One morning, Rey decided that she might as well try mending her lightsaber, the one she had shattered trying to retrieve it back from him onboard the Supremacy. She went through her morning rituals, stopped by his hut briefly, and then headed toward the beach to fetch the Jedi texts from the Millennium Falcon.

As she neared the Falcon, Rey shot a fleeting glance at his TIE-Fighter, which was gradually becoming covered with sand. She noticed that several porgs had taken up residence in its many nooks and crannies, and it made her laugh for the first time in days.

After selecting two particular texts from a drawer on the Falcon, Rey tucked them into her satchel and slowly sauntered toward the shore of the beach. She watched the tide as it rolled in rhythmic waves toward the sand. Taking in a deep breath and relishing in the salty air, she marveled at the beauty of the ocean, something that was alien to her home planet of Jakku. Rey rid herself of her worn and tattered boots and dipped her toes into the gentle water of the tide. It greeted her with a cool but soothing touch. She felt the freedom and the sheer ecstasy of being near the water.

If Unkar Plutt could see her now, she thought.

Rey sat down in the sand and reached into her satchel, pulling out one of the aged Jedi books. She ran her hand down the gold-embossed lettering on the front written in an ancient language she couldn't even begin to interpret. Despite its old age, the book held a priceless beauty to her. It had been read and touched by numerous Jedi before her. She considered it just an honor to even hold the book in her grasp.

Flipping through the pages, Rey felt as if she were a child again. She beheld all the many intricate drawings and etchings within and wondered what secrets the text held. After a few minutes, she found a chapter that seemed to focus on building laser swords. She retrieved her broken saber from her satchel, and, placing the two halves together, held it up to the illustrations in the text. The two pieces fit perfectly together in her hand, but she hadn't the slightest idea how to make them whole again. She wished she knew what to do, that it would just come to her. She felt at a loss.

Suddenly, Rey jumped, remembering his red crossguard lightsaber. She didn't recall seeing it hooked on his belt when she pulled him from the crashed TIE-Fighter. Maybe it was still on the ship somewhere in the cockpit. She knew he wouldn't have left it behind when he went to Canto Bight. Maybe examining it would help her in repairing her own saber.

Rey placed the book back in her satchel, slipped on her boots, and stood, quickly dusting the sand off her pants. She left her belongings on the beach and ran back toward the dismantled ship, hoping none of the porgs had commandeered the saber for their own. Some of her little trinkets had gone missing before, and she'd found them hours later in one of the porgs' nests.

When she reached the Fighter's position, Rey immediately climbed up to the cockpit just as she had more than a week ago. Her sudden appearance alarmed the dozen or more porgs who had now made a home of the wreck, sending them squawking into the air.

"Sorry," Rey apologized and made her way into the cockpit.

Once inside, Rey was surprised at how rather roomy the cockpit was. She slid her small body into the massive, leather captain's chair, her eyes running over the myriad of buttons and levers on the console in front of her. She wondered how it felt to steer the Fighter throughout the vastness of the galaxy, how it felt to fire the cannons, how it felt to swoop and dodge her enemy's blasts. It had been exhilarating to fly the Falcon after being trapped on Jakku her entire life; it only seemed natural that she would want to pilot another ship.

Waking from her thoughts, Rey remembered why she was there in the first place. She dropped to her knees and felt around under the console and beneath the captain's chair, searching for his lost saber. Her hand soon felt something hard and round, and she pulled it out from under the chair, only to see his helmet come into view - Kylo Ren's helmet to be more exact. It was splintered and cracked as if it had been violently crushed, and she knew he must have done it himself, trying to break free from his dark persona.

Rey promptly tossed the helmet back into the darkness from whence it came. He'd obviously brought it with him for a reason, but she didn't want him to ever have the option of wearing it again. Kylo Ren had been his past; Ben Solo was his future.

Finally, after foraging through the cockpit's compartments, Rey found his lightsaber. She held it up the light cascading through the fractured window panes of the cockpit. It looked different that she remembered it. The crossguard saber now had a black casing around the hilt, hiding the red wiring that seemed to make it have an almost unfinished look before. While he had destroyed his helmet, he'd managed to complete his saber at long last.

Tucking the saber securely into her brown belt, Rey exited the cockpit and climbed back down the ship. She stood there in the sand and wrapped her hands around the sleek, black laser sword. She'd used the saber before, employing the Force to bring it to her when confronted by Snoke and his guards on the Supremacy. From her recollection, she'd felt invincible, gripping and igniting his lightsaber in the midst of her enemy. It was intoxicating and addicting to hold so much power within her grasp. It was the same feeling that sent many a Jedi hurtling toward the Dark Side.

Rey held the saber tighter in her grip, bringing her body into a fighting stance. Without much thought, she switched on the saber, hearing the all-too-familiar hum of its plasma radiating out from the crystal within. Her eyes watched as the beach, the sand, and all that surrounded her turned to a red hue, bathed in the light from the laser sword.

As if hit by a blast of cannon fire, Rey felt a sinking sensation and fell to the sand below, the saber dissipating into thin air. She had felt this sensation before, the first time she'd touched Luke Skywalker's saber back on Takodana, when she'd seen flashes of Skywalker, Ren, and her past.

Terrified, Rey tried to grip the sand below, but instead her fingers were met with stone. She peered up and saw a colossal structure as it blazed in furious flames. Even as it burned, she could still make out the features of what appeared to be an old Jedi temple. She looked to her right and saw a hooded figure crouched beside a blue and white droid, instanting recognizing the two figures from her previous vision on Takodana. Her chest heaved, trying to breathe amidst the swirling ash and smoke. As she turned her attention back to the smoldering temple, a black figure moved in the distance, silhouetted amongst the flames.

Rey blinked, trying to make out the person behind the figure, but she already knew in her heart who it was. Ben Solo in pale Jedi robes, holding his blue-colored saber, emerged from the angry inferno right in front of her. Several other dark figures lurked just behind him in the shadows.

"Don't do this, Ben," she cried, tears streaming endlessly down her face. The words leapt forth from her mouth as if they were beyond her control. "Come with me. Come back with me to the Light."

"No," he spat out, his face morphing into a hostile snear. It was too late; he was already consumed by the Dark. He raised his saber and motioned as if he were about to strike her.

Rey closed her eyes, spilling more tears, when she felt the world suddenly shift. Her body toppled to the ground once more, and she glanced around at her new surroundings. Rey was standing in what appeared to be a throne room similar to the one on the Supremacy. She knew exactly where she was; she could already smell the foul stench of Snoke before she even saw him.

Standing, Rey saw Ben, cowering on the floor, as Snoke sent sparks of electricity jolting through his body. She attempted to rush over to him and shield him from Snoke's advances, but her legs felt like stone. She couldn't move.

"Stop hurting him!" Rey screamed to no avail, her tears returning. "Please! Just don't hurt him!"

Snoke ignored her as if she wasn't even there and sent more bolts of lightning surging through Ben's body. Ben lay on the glossy, black floor, motionless and exhausted.

Rey's blood boiled.

"Maybe that will teach you _not_ to disobey me again," Snoke angrily bellowed and spat on Ben as he exited the throne room. Several Praetorian Guards, dressed in their red armor, followed in line behind him, two of them remaining behind to keep watch.

"Ben! Are you all right?" Rey tried again unsuccessfully to hurry over to him, but her legs still wouldn't budge. She stared at him through blinding tears as he stretched out a weakened hand toward her, his body shaking violently.

Reaching her hand out toward him, she said wearily, "I'm so sorry, Ben. I'm so sorry."

Just as the last word was spoken, Rey felt the world go topsy again. This time, flinging her onto a platform in what she recognized as the bowels of Starkiller Base. She came to her feet, noticing two figures in front of her toward the center of the platform.

It was Han Solo and Kylo Ren.

Rey had seen this whole scene play out in front of her before. She didn't have any intention of ever experiencing it again, but it seemed she didn't have a choice in the matter.

"I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?" Kylo Ren asked his father.

"Yes, anything," Han replied resolutely.

Ren then let his black helmet fall to the platform with an echoing clank. The fact that it clung to the metal of the platform like a magnet and didn't roll off into the shaft below was not lost on Rey. It symbolized Ren's lack of strength to give up the proverbial mask of the Dark Side at that moment in time.

"No!" Rey called to them, watching Ren hand the lightsaber over to his father. She immediately ran toward Han and clutched his body from behind.

Cinching her eyes shut, she tried to pull Han backward, but heard the familiar hum of the saber blade as it sprung to life. She felt a stinging numbness as the blade penetrated both her and Han. The feeling intensified as Ren drove the lightsaber deeper, and then, silence fell upon them.

Glancing forward, Rey watched as Han placed a hand on his son's cheek and cradled it with all the affection he could offer in that final moment. It was more than she could take, and her heart shattered into a million pieces.

Still holding onto him, she soon felt herself falling down the enormous shaft into nothingness. Rey realized in those fleeting moments as she held him that Han had ultimately sacrificed himself to Ren, redeeming himself as a father in the process. The thought left her breathless.

Bracing for impact, Rey instead hit the ground rather softly. She raised her head, only to find that Han had disappeared. She was now inside a ship which appeared to be part of the Resistance fleet. As she gained her bearings in this new vision, she saw Leia Organa, positioned beside a large window, her pale hand flat against the pane.

"Ben," Leia called out to the stars beyond the window. "Can you hear me?"

Rey's view suddenly split, and she could also see Ben Solo in what appeared to be his quarters aboard the Supremacy.

"Mother," Ben whispered as if he was annoyed she'd bothered him. He was draped in his usual black tunic and trousers, the scar on his face illuminated by the dim light in his room.

"Come home, Ben," Leia pleaded, struggling to hold back her tears. "Come back to me. It doesn't matter what you've done. You're my son, and I still love you."

Ben stood silent. His stern features softened slightly after hearing his mother's words. He lowered his head, and Rey could see his jaw clenching, trying to fight back his emotions. She could feel the conflict as it began to tear him apart.

"Please, Ben," Leia continued, a sob escaping from her lips. "I love you."

Rey could feel the sensation of her heart breaking once more. It was as if Leia's words were shooting through her chest and ripping out her heart.

"I can't." Ben forcefully gritted his teeth, struggling to let out the words.

"Yes, you can," Leia cried, reassuring him. "Come back to me. I forgive you."

Without warning, Ben ignited the red blade of his saber and began destroying everything around him in a violent rage.

"No!" he shouted, sparks flying all about his face, and the connection faded.

Rey could now only see Leia as her body crumpled to the floor and her sobs filled the entire chamber of the ship. Her cries echoed inside Rey's mind as if they were her own, and a massive shadow of sadness fell upon her. Rey sank to her knees and grasped her chest, collapsing to the floor into a ball.

Rey clutched her knees to her body as if it was the only thing keeping her life-force intact. She soon felt the falling sensation again, and all she could see was blackness.

~.~

A soft nudge woke her. The visions from the saber had ended, and Rey was back in the reality of Ahch-To. She looked up, her hands immediately rising to shield her eyes from the blazing rays of the sun. One of the Lanai stood by her side, gently patting her on the shoulder.

"What happened?" Rey immediately stood, not caring about the matted sand that now clung to her face and neck. "Is he awake?"

The heavyset nun nodded and motioned toward the trio of huts upon the cliff in the distance. Then, without waiting for Rey to reply, she began toddling off back toward the hut's direction without her.

At least they cared to tell her, Rey thought as she retrieved his lightsaber and her satchel from the beach.

A nervous knot twisted in Rey's stomach at the very thought of being face to face with him again as she headed toward his hut. After all she had just experienced, she grieved for him, realizing just how much he had loss. Most of which was at his own doing, but somehow she felt sympathy for him, the devil without his mask. Rey now was more determined than ever to make him whole again.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! I know you're ready to see them together (and fully conscious) in the next chapter! I'm so nervous for Rey. How about you? LOL Please leave comments. I love each and every one of you! Come chat with me on Twitter - DazzledbyJake. I also post sneak peeks throughout the week there too.**


	4. Chapter 4: Pray Tell

**Chapter 4: Pray Tell**

" _Do you like the shadows in there_

 _That keep me in the dark?_

 _Now, are you scared?_

 _Will the truth ever set you free?_

 _Tell me, will you buckle at your knees?"_

 _~ Anberlin, "Pray Tell"_

The Lanai were gathered around his hut by the time Rey reached the top of the cliff. She paused briefly in front of the stone home and waited to see if they were actually going to grant her entrance. Her answer came in the form of actions not words. The caretakers all bowed in unison, their hands folded together as if in prayer, and softly murmured some sort of chant.

"Thank you," she said and mirrored their bow. She would be ever grateful to them for taking care of him.

Rey turned toward the hut and reached out her right hand, her fingers lightly grazing the wooden door. She hesitated and anxiously bit her bottom lip. Her stomach was in a jumble of nerves; her heart thumped wildly in her chest. This would be the first time they'd truly seen each other since those last moments aboard the Supremacy, when they'd struggled to overpower the other and win her lightsaber. She'd been running over and over in her head what to say to him all the way from the beach, but she didn't know if she possessed the strength.

Finally mustering up enough courage, Rey slowly pushed the door open. The creaks from the aged wood echoed off the walls of the hut as she peered into the candle-lit room. He lay in the middle of the hut, his body covered with a thick, gray blanket pulled up to his neck. Rey watched for a few moments as the light from the candles danced across the sharp features of his face. Her breath hitched in her throat at the sight. She felt her heart beating all the way to her ears, and something stirred inside her. Something she couldn't quite grasp, and it scared her.

Closing the door behind her, Rey cautiously walked toward him. She knelt down beside the bed and watched the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed in the necessary air. She didn't know if she should wake him or let him sleep. He'd been through so much. Not to mention the fact that he'd just lost his mother at the hands of a traitor.

"Rey." His voice was barely above a whisper. Her heart leapt in her chest. She wasn't expecting him to speak so soon.

"I'm here," she assured him, biting her lip again. She clenched her hands into fists to keep them from shaking.

"The Silencer…" His voice trailed off, sounding extremely weak.

"Don't worry about that right now," Rey replied. She fought back the urge to reassuringly pat his arm. "You need to rest."

At those words, he opened his eyes and sat up in the makeshift bed, letting the blanket fall down to his waist. He looked well and clean as if the Lanai had taken great care of his every need. Rey blinked at the sight of his bare chest and tried not to blush.

"These creatures… they keep coming to me," he wondered and ran his fingers through his black hair. "What do they want from me?"

Rey tried unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh. The Lanai had annoyed him just as much as they had annoyed her.

"The Lanai. They're sort of caretakers of the island. Completely harmless, of course. It's thanks to them you've been spared," Rey explained, noticing the beginnings of a beard were forming around his cheeks and chin. It was quite becoming to him, she thought.

"They tried to make me eat this garbage." He motioned toward a bowl of steaming liquid placed on a small stone table near the bed. "It's terrible."

"It's just soup. They make it by boiling the barnacles that grow on rocks down by the shore," Rey said, thinking about the first time she'd tried the same unpalatable concoction. "It takes some getting used to, but still, it's better than anything I used to eat on Jakku."

He didn't laugh or reply; he just stared at her for several agonizing seconds as if he were trying to memorize every feature of her face. To say it made her uncomfortable was putting it lightly.

"I thought you'd left me," he sadly admitted, then looked down at his massive hands.

Rey's heart sank. He didn't hold back any punches, she thought. He went right for the gut.

"You didn't come with me to the Resistance," Rey answered honestly. "You didn't turn, not the way I saw when we touched hands."

"I killed Snoke for you." He interrupted her and shot her a devilish glare. "I could have killed you, but I _chose_ you instead. And you chose _them_."

Rey's nails began to dig into her skin as her fists clenched tighter together. How dare he put all this back on her after everything she'd done for him.

"Ben-" He flinched slightly when she said his real name. Good, she thought. "I wanted nothing more than for you to kill Snoke. I wanted to kill the bastard myself for everything he'd done to you, but I couldn't join you, Ben. I could never be the villain."

"Who says you'd be a villain? I asked you to join me and help restore order to the galaxy."

"And that meant giving in to the Dark Side of the Force."

Rey felt the heat building in her cheeks. She was furious with him. She knew trying to reason with him was a bad idea. Their feelings were still too raw.

"Not always." He exasperatedly sighed and rested his head against the wall behind him. He closed his eyes as if trying to forget everything he'd just said.

"You weren't the only one who was hurt by what happened," Rey confessed, trying desperately to fight back her tears.

"How did I hurt _you_?" He opened his brown eyes and blankly stared at her once again. His tone was indifferent, almost uncaring.

His gaze then fell on the scar on her right shoulder, the one given to her by a member of the Praetorian Guard. Rey hurriedly placed her palm over the mark to hide it from view and shook her head.

"You told the entire First Order that I killed Snoke, sent bounty hunters out to find me." Her tears betrayed her and started to stream down her cheeks. She hated the fact that he always managed to see her at her most vulnerable. "I had to come here, to the far edge of the galaxy, so that I wouldn't endanger the Resistance, so I wouldn't endanger my _friends._ "

He didn't say anything for awhile. Rey hoped she had struck a nerve, maybe even hurt him with her words. Silence hovered in the hut threatening to deafen them both.

"I was angry you didn't choose _me_ ," he finally admitted, reaching for her right hand that was now resting beside him on the bed.

Rey jumped when his warm skin made contact with hers. His long fingers entwined with hers, sending tingles down her spine. No matter how angry she'd been with him, she couldn't force herself to move her hand away. The touch of another person's embrace was something she craved more than anything. She had been so lonely for much too long, and something told her he had as well.

"Do you still think I'm a monster?" He asked, cutting the tension between them like a knife. He began running his thumb back and forth over hers and consequently driving her mad.

"No." Rey looked down at their hands linked so perfectly together. Her mind could hardly form coherent thoughts with him touching her like this. "I think you're just broken."

"And you think you're the one who can put me back together?" His words left her breathless. They sounded somewhat hopeful for a change.

The task before Rey was great, but she knew that with his help, she could succeed. She thought briefly of her shattered lightsaber, and the irony of it all struck her to the very core. She didn't know where to begin on either account, but she hoped he would agree to at least help her. She hoped he would see that this was the only way to turn the tide in the war against the First Order. They had betrayed him after all; he owed them no allegiance.

"I'm going to try, yes," Rey said as a single last tear rolled languidly down her cheek.

"And you will fail," he spoke with such resolve that she'd had enough. His eyes had turned to the deepest shade of obsidian she had ever seen. His words were like stabbing weapons to her heart and shattered all her hopes to bits.

"Maybe." Rey forced their hands apart and promptly stood, heading toward the door. Then, she turned back to him, her strength restoring. She wasn't done with him just yet.

"But Ben Solo will not fail." Her words were firm and determined. "I have faith in _him_."

Wiping away her tears, Rey left the confines of the hut and didn't look back.

 **A/N:** **Oh, he's such an ass to her, but those mental images of him with his shirt off and scruffy beard kind of made up for it, right? LOL I promise he won't be like this for long. Thank you as always for reading! Please leave comments. Come chat on Twitter - DazzledbyJake!**


	5. Chapter 5: Dismantle Repair

**Chapter 5: Dismantle. Repair.**

" _It's not that I hang on every word._

 _I hang myself on what you repeat._

 _It's not that I keep hanging on._

 _I'm never letting go."_

 _~Anberlin, "Dismantle. Repair."_

Rey clutched the two broken halves of the borrowed saber in her palms. She peered back down at the Jedi text in her lap, trying desperately to read the words. The light breeze atop the stone cliff tossed the pages slightly as well as the tendrils of her hair, making them fall into her eyes.

Rey gritted her teeth in frustration and tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ears. She wished nothing more than for the two pieces to somehow magically forge themselves back together. She wondered if she would ever be able to make them whole again.

"You're going about it all wrong," his deep voice startled her. She felt the lingering presence of his body behind her. His long shadow loomed before her, overpowering and obscuring her own.

Rey immediately stood and turned to face him, surprised that he was up and walking so soon. He was dressed in the same clothes he'd worn the day she rescued him - his black tunic and trousers. The dark color stood in direct contrast to his milky, white skin. His hair was groomed and perfectly positioned about his face, and it appeared that he'd at least shaved. A slight scar now marked the side of his neck where a shard of glass from the crash had been. The sharp edges of his face and distinguished nose looked rather pleasing in the morning light.

 _Beautiful_ was the word she had used back at the beach after she'd pulled him from the ship.

And he truly was, Rey thought. She forcefully shook her head as if trying to physically rid her mind of such thoughts.

"And how exactly am I doing it wrong?" She questioned, realizing full and well that he knew more than she did.

He came closer to her, descending the small stone steps down to the ledge. Rey watched him as he took the pieces of the laser sword from her hands and held them up to the sky to gain a better look.

"The kyber crystal is broken," he observed, turning the pieces over in his bare palms. "It won't work properly unless it is made whole again."

"I know the crystal is broken. Do you know how to repair it?" Rey questioned him, frustrated that he'd only stated the obvious. "I've been looking through the Jedi texts, but it's completely useless since I can't read them."

"You could use the Force to put it back together," he explained, ignoring the texts altogether, and handed her back the saber pieces. He then walked several paces toward the edge of the cliff. "Luke did once with his second saber."

"Luke had another saber?" Rey was astonished. Why hadn't Luke Skywalker mentioned it to her when she'd trained with him? There were so many secrets she still needed to uncover.

"The one you're holding belonged to Anakin Skywalker, my grandfather," he said. "It was lost for a long time until you found it. I'm not sure where the other one is."

"Luke probably destroyed it. He threw this one over his shoulder when I handed it to back to him, hoping he would join the Resistance and help us win the war."

"Sounds like him," he chuckled, a hint of a smile forming on his lips. "He was always an angry, stubborn, old man. Not to mention the fact that he tried to murder me several times."

Rey delighted in the fact that she'd almost made him smile, but then, of course, he had to go and ruin it with negativity. She wondered what he looked like happy and full of life, completely bathed in the glow of the Light.

"Speaking of sabers," Rey tried to lighten the mood. "Would you like yours back?"

"You have it?" His brown eyes searched her face. "I thought I lost it when I crashed or either one of those _hideous_ creatures took it. I couldn't find it with my belongings."

Rey didn't answer, but instead bent down and traded her broken saber for his in the satchel at her feet. She stretched out her arm, extending the laser sword toward him.

He reached for the crossguard saber and then paused. His demeanor was cautious as if she might snatch it back at any second.

"You willingly give this back to me? Knowing that I could use it against you and flee this forsaken island back to the First Order? I'm assuming you have a ship here, right?"

"Yes, well, try getting anywhere near the First Order without the main hyperdrive. I've disabled it." Rey spat back at him, allowing him to take the saber, and folded her arms in defiance.

"And you think I can't fix it?" He pompously asked, inspecting the saber for damage. His condescending tone cut her to the bone. He then looked at her with a devilish grin. "Silly girl, you know who my father was. I've been repairing ships since before you were born."

"Ben Solo, you are an incorrigible arse! A simple 'thank you' would've sufficed." Rey angrily grabbed her satchel and stomped up the steps back toward her hut, leaving him reeling in her wake.

He had succeeded at getting under her skin once again, but at least she knew where to start with her saber at long last. She would try mending it with the Force once she was safe back inside her hut, away from his prying eyes.

As she neared the top of the next cliff, Rey could hear the echoes of his maniacal laughter ascending from the stones below. She rolled her eyes in frustration and continued on her way back home.

~.~

Later that evening, Rey placed the two pieces of the lightsaber in front of her on the stone ground inside her hut. She could see the light from the dim candle glistening off the crystal as she crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knees. The hut was silent except for occasional gust of evening wind just outside its walls.

Rey remembered what Luke Skywalker had taught her about channeling the Force, to breathe and reach out with her feelings. She closed her eyes and imagined the two halves hovering in front of her. The Force streamed through her like a surge of pure adrenaline, and she could see the saber pieces as clearly as if her eyes were open. She raised her hands, motioning the pieces toward each other, and guided them effortlessly back together. It seemed all too easy; she was disappointed that it wasn't a reality.

But then, a slight clicking sound made her eyes fly open. The silver lightsaber floated in mid air, completely mended and repaired, right before her very eyes. Rey gasped, astonished at what had just happened. She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She had possessed the power to repair her saber all along. He had given her the nudge she needed to realize it.

Reaching out her right hand, the laser sword landed gently into her palm. Rey examined the saber, only to find several lines like scars where it had been separated. As she stood, Rey switched on the control and the blade sprang to life, covering the entire hut in a bluish glow.

Elated, Rey immediately grabbed her poncho and made the short journey to his hut on the opposite side of the island. She was excited to show him what she'd done, what he'd helped her accomplish. She also couldn't wait to rub it in his arrogant face.

Rey's steps were hurried as she neared his hut, but then something made her stop dead in her tracks. It was the sound of a woman's voice - Leia Organa's voice to be more exact - resonating from inside, but it wasn't possible. Rey thought she might be going mad after all.

Tip-toeing closer to his hut, Rey pulled back her hood and peered into one of the windows illuminated by candlelight. She stepped up on a small stone to gain a better look. Her breath caught in her throat at what she saw.

Leia Organa stood in front of her son as he clung helplessly to her robe. A soft blue aura gleamed all around her, and Rey could see straight through her, yet still her features appeared solid.

Rey had heard stories of spirits growing up on her home planet of Jakku; stories told to make children scared to venture out at night in fear they may be snatched and taken by one of them. She never thought she would actually see a spirit in person, but this one was far from frightening.

"I'm so sorry, mother," he cried, his voice muffled by sobs.

Rey clutched a hand over her mouth to keep from calling out to him. She hated to see him in so much pain.

"I failed you."

"You didn't fail me. You're my son." Leia took his head into her hands and peered lovingly at his face. "I've loved you since before you were born. You could never fail me."

"But I killed Han Solo and so many others, and ultimately I killed you. I was so selfish to think I was capable of leading the First Order." His face was covered in tears.

Rey had never seen him so emotional and wondered if she should even be watching him in this way. It was far too intimate and personal.

"Regret is nothing more than a disease that slowly poisons the mind. We must only move forward."

"But I don't know how," he confessed in anguish. Rey remembered telling Leia that very same thing on the day he'd arrived on the island.

"You need her, Ben, and she needs you, more than she realizes," Leia consoled her son, stroking his hair soothingly. "You are two halves of the same whole. Through you, the Force could wield a power greater than this galaxy has ever seen."

"She wants to bring me back to the Light," he said. "But I don't know if I have the strength. I've been in the Dark for so long. I don't deserve it."

"Let her in, Ben," Leia proposed. "It's the only way to win this war."

With those final words, Leia's spirit dissipated into thin air and left him all alone. His arms longingly reached for his mother, but she was already gone. His body then slumped to the floor, distraught. Rey wanted to run to him and comfort him, but she couldn't bring herself to move.

Then, suddenly, Rey's body tipped forward and her feet slipped off the stone. The sound startled him, and his dark eyes locked onto hers. The next thing she knew, the hut exploded, causing her body to fly backward and land several yards away. She looked up through the cloud of debris, only to see the reddish glow from his lightsaber moving hauntingly closer to her.

Immediately, Rey jumped to her feet, reaching for her saber which was attached to her belt. As she ignited the blade, he appeared from amongst the settling dust, anger raging in his veins. He shot a deathly glare at her lit saber, not even acknowledging that it had been repaired.

"How could you?" He held his fiery saber inches from her face. "How dare you spy on me?"

"I'm sorry, Ben." Rey mirrored his saber with her own. She could feel the imminent tears welling up behind her eyes. "I wanted to show you that I mended my saber, and then, I heard your mother's voice. I didn't mean to."

He forcibly connected his lightsaber to hers, bending forward in order to tower over her. The deafening sound of their blades clashing together pierced the cold night air around them. They had been in this very same position when they'd battled on Starkiller Base. She had channeled the Force then to overpower him, but she didn't know of she could gather enough strength to hurt him again.

Then, he abruptly dropped his lightsaber, sending it clanging to the stone ground below. He sank to his knees in surrender and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her body tightly against his. Rey tossed her saber on the ground and instantly embraced him, her lips instinctively kissing the top of his head.

"I'm all alone, Rey." Ben weeped, burying his head into the fabric of her trousers. "I'm so alone."

"You're not alone," Rey recited the words he had once said to her, weaving her fingers through the black strands of his hair.

Ben Solo had finally emerged from the depths of Kylo Ren's darkness. Rey could feel his Light emanating just beneath the surface of his skin, and she wanted nothing more than to hold onto him for the rest of eternity.

She softly whispered, "I'm here and I'm never letting you go."

 **A/N: Now, we're getting somewhere, right? I was definitely inspired by my profile picture toward the end here. Please let me know what you thought. I appreciate each and every one of my readers! Thank you so much for your support of this fic. If you're interested, the song "Dismantle. Repair." by Anberlin is my favorite of all time and it is very much a Reylo song. Come chat on Twitter - DazzledbyJake. See you again soon!**


	6. Chapter 6: Closer

**Chapter 6: Closer**

" _How could I say goodbye?  
We've come too far to turn back now.  
Who are we without each other?  
Too entwined to untangle now."_

 _~ Anberlin, "Losing It All"_

Ben was silent as Rey led him to her hut on the other side of the island. Sleeping in his hut was useless since he'd destroyed it in a fit of uncontrollable rage. It was now a crumpled heap of stone and dust. The Lanai would surely have something to say about it in the morning. At least this time, it wouldn't be just Rey who would feel the full brunt of their wrath.

As the couple neared the hut, the ominous sky opened up and rain began to pour furiously from the dark clouds above. The frosty wind began to pick up as well, making it somewhat difficult to scale the rocks that lined the familiar pathway to her hut.

Occasionally, Rey would check to make sure Ben was still following her, and he was always there, just a few steps behind her. His face was expressionless, almost as if he was lost in thought. She hoped some rest would grant him peace, and they could start his recovery process in the morning.

At last, Rey with Ben in tow reached her home. She opened the large, metal door and led him to her bed on the opposite corner of the room. He lay down without complaint, and she pulled the gray blanket over him, grabbing a second blanket and curling up on the floor beside him.

As she lay on the cold ground of the hut, Rey's heart pounded intensely and her mind raced with so many thoughts at what had just happened. She had succeeded at mending her saber, and now, Ben was sleeping right beside her. It had all happened so fast, and she still couldn't believe that he was there. Rey felt that any moment he might disappear.

Another part of Rey yearned to be near him; she wanted to wrap him in her arms and hold onto him for the remainder of the night. It had felt so exhilarating to have Ben in her arms if only for a few lingering moments near his decimated hut. Her heart revelled in the feeling, and her mind constantly wrestled with her body not to join him on the bed.

Then, unexpectedly, Rey heard him as he rose from the bed and came closer to her. He stretched out his body next to hers and covered the both of them with his blanket. Rey's eyes grew wide as he positioned himself beside her, and her heart strummed wildly in her chest.

Had he heard her thoughts or sensed she needed him? Or did he just need to be close to her? Rey silently questioned herself, but it really didn't matter.

Snuggling into her back, Ben enveloped her with his burly arms and pulled her tightly against his chest. Rey didn't care how or why he had come to her; she just sighed in contentment, letting him lay beside her for the remainder of the night, his body entwined with hers.

~.~

The next morning, Rey woke with the rising twin suns and decided to practice with her newly-repaired saber before waking him. She had to practically pry his arms off her, but he eventually turned over and soon found a new comfortable position on the floor. Grabbing her saber, she headed out to a nearby cliff, not wanting to travel too far in case he needed her.

Just as she reached the ledge, Finn, her porg friend, fluttered down to greet her on one of the stones. He had some sort of shrimp in his mouth and gobbled it down right before making his presence known with a small chirping sound.

"Good morning, Finn," Rey said, patting his head. She held up her laser sword for him to see. "Look what I have. It's a lightsaber, a weapon of the Jedi. Do you like it?"

The brown and white speckled creature squeaked in response to her question, jumping onto her shoulder to gain a better look.

"Yes, it is nice and shiny," Rey replied. "Look what it can do."

Rey ignited the saber, and the familiar thrumming sound of the blade as it sprang to life filled her ears and reverberated off the stones around her.

"Ohhh," Finn cooed at the brilliant blue color, his black eyes growing large in awe of her new toy.

"Pretty, huh?" Rey remarked and showed him how to maneuver it with her right hand.

Finn flew off her shoulder and landed back on his former rock, intently watching her as she went through several forms with the blue saber. Rey relished in the feeling of saber in her hand, how perfectly it fit in her grasp as if it were made for her. It whipped through the air with ease, and she could hardly believe that it had once been irreparably broken.

"Nice job on the saber. I guess mending it with the Force worked after all," a voice called from behind her.

Rey turned and smiled when she saw him. Startled by his sudden presence, Finn squawked and dismounted his perch, soaring off into the air.

"I doubted it would actually work, but you proved me wrong as always," he said, completely ignoring Finn as the creature noisily flew away from them.

Ben was standing in front of her with his crossguard saber in his right hand as if he were ready to challenge her in a sparring match. Even though Rey knew it was him, he looked like a completely different person. He was wearing his usual hairstyle and black clothing, but a certain spark emanated from his brown eyes. The way he carried himself was different also; he was less presumptuous and arrogant. His shoulders even seemed more relaxed, and his demeanor seemed kind. It made her heart leap in her chest at the seemingly-new man before her.

Ben returned her smile, and Rey felt the heat rising in her cheeks, deflecting her gaze to the ground to avoid looking him in the eyes. She felt a little overwhelmed to see him happy for a change. It was such a beautiful sight to behold.

"Let's see what you got." Igniting his blade, Ben forcefully charged at her with his saber, but it was soon blocked by hers. The two blades made a deafening grinding noise as they slammed into each other.

"Good," he complimented her, pushing off her blade. He stood a few feet away from her and positioned his saber in a fighting stance. "Now, come at me."

Rey summoned all her might and swung her sword at him, but Ben dodged her advance, ducking his head backward. Her plasma blade effortlessly slid through the air just millimeters above his face.

"You have great potential, my young Padawan." Ben smirked as he lifted his head back toward her. "But you still have much to learn."

"Pada-what?" Rey tried to pronounce whatever term he'd just uttered. "Are you calling me names, Ben Solo?"

"Pada _wan_ , it's what Jedi masters call their apprentices." Ben stepped closer to her, holding his saber out toward hers. "I thought the name was fitting."

"Is that so?" Rey replied, raising her saber to meet his. She loved the playful banter he was giving her that morning. It made her heart swell with joy. "You fancy yourself a Jedi master now, huh? As I recall, you were still a _Padawan_ when you decided to join the Dark Side."

"Silly girl, you and I are the only remaining Jedi in the entire galaxy." Ben began to stalk her in a circle on the ledge, pacing back and forth. He rotated the hilt of the saber several times with his wrist, the crimson blade humming as it made contact with the air. "And since I actually have more training than you, I'd have to say that makes me _your_ master."

A shiver snaked its way down her spine at his words. Rey thought for a moment that Kylo Ren had returned, but the mischievous smile that soon formed on his lips told her otherwise. He would have to pay for that comment, she thought.

Trying to catch him off guard, Rey tempestuously lunged at him with her lightsaber. The sudden movement sent his saber plummeting to the stone ground below. He held up his hands in surrender and gave her a sly grin.

"Who's the master _now_?" Rey questioned him, her saber blade positioned just under his chin.

"It's always been you, Rey," Ben softly responded as she switched off her blue blade.

Rey gulped at his words, finding it difficult to swallow. He stood and walked closer to her until their bodies were almost touching, his brown eyes searching hers. She wanted to know what he was thinking so badly at that moment, but she couldn't entertain those thoughts. Not just yet.

"Breakfast?" She managed to squeak out, attempting to break the tension that was gradually becoming unbearable, and took a step backward.

"Sure, just no barnacle soup this time please." Ben laughed, forming a slight smile, and retrieved his saber from the ground.

"How about some fish then?" Rey offered, beginning to descend the cliff toward the shore.

"Sounds perfect," he replied and followed her down the rocks to the beach.

As they neared the shore, Rey felt that same all-consuming feeling again, the one she'd felt back in his hut when she first went to him after the crash. She wondered if he felt that same way too.

~.~

Over a fish breakfast on the shore, Rey and Ben talked like civilized human beings for the first time since they'd met. They both assumed it was time they got to know each other better, taking turns asking each other questions about their former lives.

Ben told her about his childhood, how he'd grown up on the planet Chandrila, the capital of the New Republic following the defeat of Galactic Empire. He told her how his father and mother loved each other deeply, but could never seem to make their marriage work, how he'd idolized his father, the smuggler, as a child and wanted to be a pilot just like him one day. His mother, Leia, was always consumed with her work as a senator and never had enough time to spend with her son. With his father's permission, Leia had sent him off to train as a Jedi with her brother, Luke Skywalker, who was gathering Force-sensitive students in an attempt to restore the Jedi Order. Ben always felt that Leia thought he was different somehow than other boys his age, that she truly didn't love him the way a mother should. He regretfully admitted that he had been terribly wrong about her; she had sent him to his uncle to protect him from the lure of the Dark Side.

Ben also lamented about being seduced and tortured by Snoke, and eventually how he'd slaughtered all the remaining Jedi at the temple when he was still so young. He spoke briefly of his reign as Master of the Knights of Ren, a group of warriors who followed the Dark Side of the Force. It pained him to speak of such things, but told her he felt that it was necessary to bare his soul to her. He wanted her to know everything about his past; it was the only way to fully redeem himself in the end.

In turn, Rey relayed the details of her upbringing as well, how she'd longed for her parents to return to Jakku and take her into their arms. She would scavenge old aircraft for Unkar Plutt during the day and clean all the spare parts she'd found at Niima Outpost in the afternoon. As she worked, she would stare at the elder scavengers and wonder if she'd ever do something else with her life, something that had weight and meaning. Rey would watch intently as visitors arrived on Jakku, hoping with all her soul that someday, it would be her parents who would emergedfrom the one of those ships ready to take her away from that Force-forsaken world. She told Ben how lonely she'd felt, how she was always wary of others and could never fully trust anyone.

Rey told Ben how she'd made a home in the carcass of an Empiric AT-AT, a relic from the long ago Battle of Jakku. She would make dolls out of scraps to play with and learn languages as well as how to pilot spacecraft through an old computer display she had managed to find on a downed Y-Wing bomber.

"The computer even had old files of holoshows." Rey smiled at the memory, finishing up her portion of the fish. "I remember this one show, _Moray and_ -"

" _Faz_?" Ben peered at her through the flames of a small fire that separated them. Rey nodded. "I used to watch that cartoon when I was a young boy."

"Really? It was my favorite," Rey said and tossed the bones from the fish on the sand.

"Mine too," Ben replied, staring at her with such a fondness. The breeze lightly tossed his black hair, and Rey had to look away in order to control her breathing.

The conversation then went silent. The sounds of the crashing waves and screeching porgs off in the distance hovered in the salty air around them.

"Ben, your parents…" Rey paused for a few seconds. "They loved each other dearly. You must know that."

"I think they did once upon a time," Ben agreed. "They had this thing between them where one of them would say, 'I love you.' And then, the other would say 'I know.' It used to drive me mad when I was younger."

"That's sweet." Rey looked out toward the ocean and watched the tide as it started to gradually creep toward the shore. "I guess it was their subtle way of expressing their feelings without actually saying it."

"You're probably right," Ben said, following her gaze out toward the water.

"After we - the Resistance, I mean - returned to the base on D'Qar, after Starkiller Base was destroyed, your mother…" Rey began to say, but then hesitated, not knowing if she should tell him or not.

"It's fine. Keep going." Ben peered at her with wonder in his eyes.

"I think it would be better if I showed you."

Rey stood up from her perch on a flattened rock and circled around the fire toward him. Coming onto her knees, she placed her hands on either side of Ben's face. His brown eyes explored hers, and she could hear his breath as it caught in his throat at her touch.

Rey closed her eyes and opened her mind to him through the Force, picturing the moment she'd arrived on D'Qar. She poured into him her feelings of exhaustion from fighting him, how distraught she'd been over Han Solo's death, only to have Leia Organa find her amongst the crowd. Leia had embraced her, reassuring her amidst her own sorrow that everything would be all right.

Then, Rey had felt something else as the general held her in her arms. Leia was showing her something through the Force. It was as if she couldn't control it. She could see Leia and Han embracing, possibly before he had left to confront Ben at Starkiller Base. It was a hug of desperation; she could sense Leia's unending love for her husband radiating outward and filling Rey's soul with an overwhelming sense of peace. Han's love for his wife resonated there too, and it rose up to meet hers like two halves of the same heart joining together as one.

After letting the vision fade within her mind, Rey opened her eyes only to see a single tear roll down Ben's cheek. His eyes beheld her with such a tenderness; she couldn't look away.

"Thank you," he simply said.

Removing her hands from his face, Ben took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his black hair. He stood and turned toward the water.

"You know, the ocean here reminds me of the Silver Sea on Chandrila." Ben appeared to be lost in thought. "I used to swim in its waters when I was a young boy. It was an escape from the darkness. I always felt it. It never subsided unless I was in the water."

Rey hung her head at his sad words. Maybe, she'd gone too far showing him what she felt when his mother had embraced her. Maybe, he regretted it wasn't him.

Without speaking any further, Ben unfastened his tunic to reveal his scarred chest and then rid himself of his trousers and boots. In only his undergarments, he sauntered slowly down the shore, not stopping until he was waist-deep in the current.

Rey followed him, removing just her pants and brown boots as she went. Wading in the water, she swam up beside him and watched him as he peered out toward a distant island. The icy water chilled her to the bone, and the wind rendered her skin to gooseflesh, but she wanted to be near him more than anything.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ben finally broke the silence. "The ocean."

"Yes, it is," Rey said, never taking her eyes off him. She didn't know if her answer was referring to him or to the dark-blue water circulating around them. Maybe, it was a little of both.

"It's easy to forget there's a whole galaxy out there," Ben remarked and turned to face her.

Despite the frigid water around her, Rey could feel the heat radiating from his body as he stood just inches from her. She watched the drops of ocean water as they traced their way down the curves of his chest. She looked up at his face, and his eyes pierced right through her, awakening something deep inside her - raw desire, something she'd never felt before.

Rey could hardly breathe as her shaking hands flew to his chest, her palms resting atop his scars, the ones she wanted so desperately to wash away with the tide. The skin where they were connected began to pulsate, making her dizzy. She didn't know if it was the Force or something else that burned steadily beneath their skin.

Ben placed his large hands about her waist, pulling her taut against his chest, and looked down at her with such intensity, she thought she might explode from the fire in his gaze. It would only take mere seconds for her to become lost in him.

But then, a sharp pain suddenly shot through her leg, immediately breaking her from her reverie.

"Ow," Rey howled, dropping her hands from his chest, and silently cursed the fact that she had to stop touching him. "I think something stung me."

"Oh, no, does it hurt?" Ben broke from his trance and attempted to reach down to examine her leg. "Here, let me get you to shore."

Picking her up bridal style, the way he had the first time they'd met, Ben carried her to the shore and lay her down gently on the sand. He seemed a little taken aback by the fact that she was in her undergarments, but then shook his head as if he was trying to remember the reason he'd brought her back ashore.

"It's okay, really," Rey tried to assure him as he surveyed the small, red indentation on her leg. "This isn't the first-"

Before she could protest, Ben lowered his head to her leg and softly pressed his lips to the wound. Her skin instantly sizzled beneath his touch. Rey had to remind herself to breathe as he looked up at her with amorous eyes, his lips still against her skin.

"Sorry, my mother used to do that when I'd hurt myself as a child," Ben admitted, leaning back on his knees. He seemed somewhat embarrassed. "It always made the pain go away."

"Th-Thank you," Rey dizzyingly stammered, completely dazed.

Just the touch of his lips sent her desperately clinging to the edge of coherence. No one had ever kissed her before; no one had ever touched her in such a caring and attentive way. She wanted nothing more than to have him touch her like that again.

"Rey, there's something I want to ask you." She loudly gulped at his words.

"Okay," Rey said, worried about what he might ask.

"Remember when you told me about the dark place beneath the island?"

She nodded anxiously, hoping he wouldn't say what she knew was inevitable.

"I want you to take me there."

 **A/N: Aw, man, they were so close! Curse whatever stung her! Anyway, who's ready for the dark place? I know I'm not. Thank you so much for reading. Please let me know what you thought. I'm still on Twitter - DazzledbyJake. I'll post a teaser of Chapter 7 there soon!**


	7. 7: Dark is the Way, Light is a Place

**Chapter 7: Dark is the Way, Light is a Place**

" _Hold on to the light._

 _Let go of the dark."_

 _~ Anberlin, "Birds of Prey"_

For the remainder of the morning, Rey ignored Ben's request to visit the dark place underneath the island, the dark cave where she'd asked about her parents' identity. She didn't want to go anywhere near that place again, and she knew if Ben went there, he would surely regress in his recovery. Instead, she insisted on them both taking separate baths in the waterfall near her hut to wash away all the dust and grime from the night before. He said he would only if she promised to take him to the dark place later that afternoon. Rey regretfully agreed. Before taking his turn, Ben asked if he could borrow a few of the Jedi texts to finger through, and Rey obliged, lending him her satchel in which to carry them.

After he took his leave, Rey waited a few agonizing minutes until she was certain Ben was a safe distance away and headed down to the waterfall. She hid behind a large rock, peeking her head out from the side, and watched as he undressed by the spray of water that cascaded down the cliff. His back was facing her, and Rey gasped at the sight of his nude body from behind. In that moment, she realized that she had never seen a naked man before.

Rey painstakingly memorized every curve and line of his muscular back. Even from a distance, she could see numerous scars branding his milky-white skin. A searing pain shot through her heart to see so many angry marks, and she wondered how she hadn't noticed them when they were wading in the ocean earlier that day. Her soul ached at the thought of all the pain he'd experienced throughout his life, both inside and out. She wished she could just wash it all away.

Her eyes then trailed down to his bottom, her cheeks flushing red with heat at how perfect and round it was. She continued to study his form as he entered the shallow pool at the base of the waterfall and let the cool shower wash over his head and torso. Watching Ben in such an intimate way made her mouth salivate and her entire body shiver with desire. Rey wanted nothing more than to join him under the waterfall and do unspeakable things to him that would have him gasping for air. She clenched her hands into fists, desperately trying to repress the temptation to touch herself as she watched him.

 _Squawk! Squawk!_

Finn swooped down beside her on the rock, making his presence fully known in the loudest way possible. His screeches resounded off the nearby cliffs and caused Rey to immediately snap out of her spell.

"Shhh!" Rey exasperatedly tried to quiet her porg friend. She started to panic.

Ben turned toward the noise and his eyes searched in every direction except hers. Rey ducked and desperately plastered her body against the boulder, hoping he hadn't seen her. She was completely mortified.

Having nearly been caught, Rey took off running toward the shore to the place where they'd shared breakfast that morning and plopped herself down in the sand. She lay back and stared up at the afternoon sky, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She broke into a fit of laughter at what had just happened and placed her hand over her face, her cheeks still hot from watching him bathe.

Her smile soon faded when she remembered her promise to Ben. It wouldn't be long before she would have to face him again and inevitably show him to the dark side of the island. The place she knew would never bring him the peace he so desired.

~.~

"Ready to go?" Rey asked Ben when they met up later that afternoon.

She had given him ample time to bathe, and now he was standing outside her hut dressed in the same black attire. She was dressed in her beige tunic and gray vest, complete with gray trousers and brown boots, her hair tied up in three small buns. She didn't dare mention what had happened earlier by the waterfall. She secretly hoped he hadn't seen her and was only startled by Finn's obnoxious screeching.

"Yes, I'm ready," Ben answered and combed his hands through his black hair. He let out an exaggerated sigh, and Rey's worries immediately shifted. She began to feel that he wasn't quite prepared for what was in store for him. She knew for certain that she wasn't.

"Ben, I know you want to go to the dark place, but -" Rey gently grabbed his arm and lightly squeezed it. He looked down at her hand with wide eyes as if he was surprised she was touching him. "I'm afraid it may send you back to the Dark Side. You've come so far in the past few days. I'd hate to see you regress back to your former self."

"Rey, I have to," Ben said, pleading with her. "You found out about your parents there. I need to ask it something too."

"Oh." Rey let go of his arm and folded her arms across her chest. She was genuinely curious. "What is that?"

"Well, I don't want to say right now," he confessed. "I'll tell you when it's all over, I promise. This is just something I need to do."

"Fair enough." She turned and began to reluctantly ascend the stone staircase near her hut. "But I want to show you something first."

"Okay, whatever you wish," Ben agreed, following her up the steep steps.

Rey led him up into the bowels of the island, climbing step after step, until finally they reached the opening at the top of the staircase. The massive cave where she had listened to Luke Skywalker talk about the Jedi and his past appeared before them.

Rey and Ben slowly entered the cave, each of them taking a different route around the black-and-alabaster Jedi mosaic in the center of the room. Golden streaks of afternoon sunlight bathed the entire room in warmth and illuminated their path. Ben peered up at the high ceiling and then turned his attention to the mosaic, bending down to gain a better look.

"What is this place?" Ben inquired, running his fingers over the small stone tiles of the artwork. The cool tickle of a shallow pool greeted his hand.

"An ancient Jedi temple." Rey watched him with caution. "The mosaic shows the-"

"Prime Jedi, the first Jedi," Ben completed her sentence and returned to a standing position, not taking his eyes off the abstraction. His inflection was rather troubled. He formed his hands into fists and lay his head on one of them as if he were struggling to keep his composure. "In complete balance between the Light and the Dark."

"Yes," Rey confirmed and bit her lip nervously. She had hoped this place would bring him solace, a sort of calm before the storm. She had the sudden urge to go to him and wrap her arms around him in comfort, but she could tell from his demeanor that he needed some space.

Ben soon moved away from the mosaic and walked toward the opening which led outside to the ledge.

"This is where Luke gave me my first lesson in the ways of the Force. It's kind of a funny story actually," Rey told him as she followed him out to the ledge. "He told me to close my eyes and reach out, and when I did, he tickled my hand with a leaf. I stupidly thought I'd felt the Force."

Ben laughed and wandered closer toward the perch where she'd sat on that fateful day. He leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of the rocks, and peered over the edge.

"That bastard," he jokingly said. "I hope he gave you a real lesson and didn't just play you for an idiot the entire time."

"Oh, he did eventually," Rey replied, smiling. "I wasn't giving up."

Suddenly, Rey noticed something twinkling in the shadows beside the perch near Ben's feet.

"What's that?" Rey asked and pointed toward the source of the glow.

Ben bent down and picked up the shiny object with his right hand. He sighed, holding it up for her to see. The two golden cubes dazzled in the rays of the twin suns as they dangled between his fingers.

"Your father's dice!" Rey exclaimed when she realized what they were. "I wanted to give them to you, but I lost them. They were hanging in the cockpit of the Falcon when I last saw them."

"Luke projected them onto Crait," Ben said, turning the dice over in his palms to examine them. "They disappeared when I picked them up. I guess he wanted me to see them one last time. Maybe he hoped it would be enough to turn me back toward the Light."

"I'm glad we found them." Rey gave him a slight grin.

"I used to play with them as a child," Ben sadly confessed almost as if he hadn't heard her. He unexpectedly held them out to her in his right palm. "I want _you_ to have them, Rey."

"No, Ben, I couldn't possibly," she protested, her hands folding his fingers over the dice, hiding them from view. She pushed his hand back toward him. "They belong to you now."

"Please," he begged, taking her hand, and placed the gold dice onto her palm. "Everything I have is yours."

Rey felt lightheaded as she took in his words. She looked down at the token he'd just given her, a treasured object that had once belonged to his father. A vivid memory of Han Solo flashed into her mind, and she closed her eyes, thinking fondly of the time Han had given her a blaster when the Falcon had landed on Takodana. It was the first time someone had freely given her anything.

"Thank you, Ben," Rey said and opened her eyes.

"You're welcome," he replied, shifting his stance toward the ledge. "And thank you for showing me this temple, but… the dark place... "

Rey clutched the dice to her chest and then placed them into one of the pockets of her trousers. Without saying a word, she began to lead him toward the dark side of the island, wanting nothing more than to run far, far away and never look back.

~.~

"Do you want me to go with you?" Rey asked, having led Ben to the ominous hole, the one she'd heard calling to her not so long ago.

The waves from the sea angrily crashed and sent a spray of water over the side of the cliff at their feet. Twisted vines threateningly radiated out from the sides of the pit in all directions. Rey could hear it beckoning to her as she stood only feet away from its opening. She wondered if Ben could hear it too.

"No, this is something I have to do alone." Ben reluctantly sighed and stared down at the round pit.

Grabbing her hand, he brought her fingers to his lips and placed a swift kiss across her knuckles. Rey shivered at the touch of his lips and peered up at him, stunned.

"Wait here for me." Ben sweetly smiled at her, still holding onto her hand.

"Y-Yes." The simple word caught in her throat. She wanted him to always look at her just as he was right then, like she was the person he treasured most in all the galaxy.

Letting go of her hand, Ben positioned himself at the edge of the pit. He warily looked back at her one last time as if to assure himself before taking a deep breath and stepping off the side.

Rey quickly snapped out of her thoughts and ran towards the dark hole just as he plummeted into its gloomy depths.

"Ben, I-," she shouted after him, but couldn't force herself to finish the expression. She didn't want to openly admit that feeling just yet. She wasn't even sure if she could admit it to herself.

Sinking to her knees, Rey grasped at the vines in a desperate attempt to quell her nerves. What was she thinking letting him go down there all alone? She must have gone completely mad. Surely he wouldn't come back to her the same. She buried her face in her hands and wept.

"Rey! Rey!" His voice rumbled upward from the bottom of the pit.

Rey's hazel eyes immediately flew open. Cautiously, she stood and looked over the sides of the dark opening.

"Rey!" Ben's voice called to her once more.

His tone sounded distraught as if he were in pain, and her mind wrestled with whether or not to follow him down into the hole. She had promised him she would stay up here and let him handle this journey on his own.

"Rey! Please!" The voice amplified in volume, resonating off the walls of the rocks around her.

Rey reached into her pants pocket and pulled out the golden dice. Looking down at the heirloom he'd given to her, she knew what she had to do. She couldn't just let him suffer the uncertainty of the dark place without her.

With the dice securely back in her pocket, Rey determinedly leapt into the darkness, holding her breath on the way down. After a few terrifying seconds, she hit the pool of water at the bottom and sent a large splash into the air. The chilly temperature of the water instantly numbed her limbs, and she struggled to paddle to the surface. Rey could see the forbidding remains and skeletons of decayed creatures all around her as she ascended the height of the pool. Finally, Rey took a much needed breath when she found the surface. She swam to the edge, grabbing hold of the flattened rocks to pull herself out of the water.

Rey stood and shook some of the water off her arms. She noticed her wet hair had fallen out of the buns, just as it had the first time she'd visited the cave. Glancing around the cave, she froze when she saw him positioned only a few yards away from her.

Ben was standing with his back to her, peering into the blackness of the cave. Rey could see the endless array of mirrors as they unfolded out before him.

"Ben?" she called to him, but he didn't seem to have heard her. She came to the possible realization that maybe it wasn't him who called to her; the cave may have beckoned her there instead. Maybe the cave wanted the both of them to be there. Maybe it had something to reveal to them together.

"Show me my future," Ben said to the looking glass and stretched out his arm toward the invisible barrier.

Rey watched with bated breath at what the cave might show him. She was terrified that it may show him redonning Kylo Ren's mask and regressing back to the Dark Side of the Force. She feared that he may return to the monster he once was, full of anger, hate, and suffering, and not remain the reserved and gentle man she now considered a part of her.

Instead, the reflected image of Ben soon flickered and morphed into a likeness of Rey. Her brown hair was longer and flowed down her torso in cascading, brown curls, and the figure was adorned in a flowy lavender dress. She felt her stomach leap and her heart start to pound steadily in her chest at the thought of looking so gorgeous and feminine. She smiled slightly knowing that she would be an integral component of his future. Of course, what exactly that part entailed was still a mystery to her.

Then, the image of Rey shifted to a myriad of figures dressed in gray Jedi-like robes. There were so many figures; Rey couldn't count them all. Representing every age, sex, and creature, they began to spar against each other, lightsabers of every color gripped firmly in their hands. Rey silently wondered if he was destined to train a new generation of Jedi. She secretly hoped she could join him in that endeavor whenever the First Order was finally defeated.

Lastly, the mirror switched from the gray-hooded figures to that of a familiar form. Han Solo's image now appeared before them. He was wearing his signature brown, leather jacket and brown pants, his hands firmly planted on his hips. Han smiled in Ben's direction, a look of pride upon his face. Rey's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and her eyes instantly focused on Ben, trying to gauge his reaction. She could discern from the way his shoulders and back viciously shook that he was gradually become enraged at the sight of his father in the mirror.

Was Ben destined to become like his father? A smuggler who never had the time for his son and could never stay still in one place for too long? An absent father who had left him with constant feelings of abandonment? Surely that wasn't what the future held for him. She knew he'd wanted to be just like his father when he was a child, but now as an adult, it was something that he probably feared more than anything.

"NO!" Ben screamed, violently slamming his fists into the mirror. It unexpectedly vanished, and he fell forward, toppling to the stone ground on his knees.

Rey ran toward him and threw her arms around him from behind. Startled by her sudden appearance, Ben angrily shrugged off her embrace and turned around to see who had come up behind him.

"Rey, I -" Ben stammered with tears in his eyes when he saw it was her. He hung his head in sorrow, and Rey instinctively placed her hands on either side of his face, pulling his head up to meet hers.

"Shhh, it's okay," Rey tried to comfort him, kneeling in front of him.

Rey remembered how he'd attended to her wound earlier that day on the beach, how he'd wanted to kiss away her stinging pain. She wished she could do the same for him now, but his types of wounds weren't on the surface; they were deep beneath his skin.

Without much further thought, she began pressing her lips to his forehead, his temples, his cheeks, his chin. She made sure she covered every inch of his visage, desperately trying to kiss away his anger, his sadness, his regret, his pain.

"Rey," Ben whispered with ragged breath and grasped her hands with his. His brown eyes bore into hers, and she gasped trying to fill her lungs with necessary air. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

Ben brought one of her hands down to his chest, pressing her palm over his heart. It began to thump wildly beneath her hand. Involuntarily, she performed the same motion with his right hand over her beating heart, bringing their bodies into perfect balance. He sighed as he felt the rhythm of her heart as it danced in time with his.

"You bring me peace, Rey. You're the only thing that centers me. When I'm with you, the demons I constantly have to chase subside and there's nothing but you." Ben cupped her left cheek with his bare palm and traced his thumb across her lower lip.

"Just you."

A soft moan escaped from Rey's lips. She reflexively kissed his finger, focusing intently on his mouth, as an all-consuming desire swept over her entire being. She wanted him to kiss her so badly it hurt, but the moment just wasn't right. He had just experienced a haunting vision of his future. She doubted he would even entertain the notion.

Rey was dead wrong.

As if he had sensed her need, Ben promptly closed the space between them and crashed his lips to hers. Rey responded with vigor, wrapping her arms around his neck. She was self-conscious at first as she had never kissed anyone before, but his lips molded so perfectly to hers that her worries soon faded. They both clung to each other as their tongues began to explore each other's mouths. He shifted his body and pulled her into his lap. She immediately straddled his hips, pressing her body further into his, needing to be as close as possible to him. A low growl rumbled inside his chest and vibrated against her lips showing his satisfaction at the way they were now positioned. Ben's strong hands came to rest on her bottom and forcibly thrust her against his body. She cravingly groaned when she felt how much he wanted her as it came in contact with the part of her that desperately wanted him too.

His hurried lips blazed a path down her neck and along the hemline of her low-cut tunic, rendering her skin to gooseflesh. Rey held her head back and relished in the feeling of his lips against her skin. She remembered the curves of his body from earlier when she'd watched him bathe. She physically ached to feel his naked flesh against her skin; the feeling was almost unbearable. She didn't know how much more of this she could take before her entire body completely shattered with desire.

Suddenly, the forgotten cave began to furiously shake as Ben returned his lips to hers. The Force hummed all around them and then crackled like electricity with each and every kiss. Seismic waves arose from the stone ground, forcefully splintering the rocks, and encircled the cave like thunder. The shocks from the movement sent fragmented rocks scattering to the floor of the cave all around where they were positioned.

Ben broke free of her lips and peered up at the roof of the cave.

"Rey, the cave is destroying itself. We better go before the whole roof caves in on top of us."

Disappointed, Rey nodded in agreement and quickly dismounted him, her mind still reeling at what they had just done.

"Come on!" Ben pulled himself to a standing position and offered her his hand.

Together, they hastily fled from the dark cave, using their Force abilities to leap up toward the opening and out of harm's way. As they both ran down the side of the cliff, Rey could hear the sound of the cave violently collapsing behind them. They would never be able to go there again, and Rey was relieved at the thought.

When they reached the edge of the cliff, Ben let go of her hand and fell to his knees on the soft grass, completely exhausted. The only sound Rey could hear was the rapid, alternating tempo of their breathing. Rey pressed her hands to her cheeks, and they still felt flushed from their encounter in the cave. Her swollen lips intensely burned from the pressure of his kiss.

As she stood there beside him on the grass, Rey wondered what he was thinking. What if what they did in the cave was a mistake? What if _he_ felt it was all a mistake? Was he too overcome with emotion that he just couldn't help himself? She was horrified at what he might say; she was almost too afraid to ask.

A sudden blip on the horizon made her look up toward the twin setting suns. Ben's head shot up as well as if he'd seen it in her mind.

"What the -" Ben promptly came onto his feet and squinted at the shadowy forms out on the water.

The Visitors were heading toward the island in their boats just as they had every month since she'd been on Ahch-To. The notion sparked an idea in Rey's mind.

"The male Lanai are coming to visit the caretakers," she told him, pivoting her body back toward him. She gave him a mischievous smile.

"Ben, how would you like to go to a party?"

 **A/N: Well, well, well, they've managed to destroy something else on the island with their "balancing act." How long do you think it will be before the entire island crumbles into the sea? Those poor caretakers. LOL**

 **Thank you as always for reading! Please let me know what you thought. Hope to see you again soon. ~Dazzy**


	8. Chapter 8: Inevitable

**Chapter 8: Inevitable**

" _I want to break every clock,_

 _The hands of time could never move again._

 _We could stay in this moment,_

 _Stay in this moment,_

 _For the rest of our lives."_

 _~Anberlin, "Inevitable"_

Rey retreated to her hut to ready herself for the party.

She decided to dress especially for the occasion, draping a sheer, pale-beige cloth around her body into the shape of a dress and fastening it at the nape of her neck. She was quite pleased with the result; it reminded her of the billowy gowns worn by wealthy women who would visit her home planet of Jakku. Rey had always wanted to own one of those expensive garments, but would've probably been too afraid to wear it, scared that she may tear or dirty it. She'd always been a tomboy anyway.

Debating on how she should style her hair for the evening, Rey settled on twisting her brown locks into a simple bun at the base of her neck, similar to one she'd seen General Leia wear. She hoped that Ben would be fond of it.

Covering the scar on her arm, Rey secured a brown, leather cuff around her bicep; she felt it was the one flaw she didn't want him to see. Finally, she donned a pair of velvety, white boots she'd brought with her from Canto Bight. The boots had been a gift from Rose Tico, Finn's friend, who she didn't know very well, but could tell looked up to her.

Peering into a rusted looking glass she'd commandeered from the caretakers, Rey happily smiled at her reflection, but felt as if something was missing from her ensemble.

 _Jewelry_ , she thought. Rey didn't own any necklaces or earrings as she could never afford them, but knew there was one item she had that would suffice.

Digging into her pants pocket, she pulled out Han Solo's dice and pinned the chain with a fishhook to the fabric over her heart. She wanted to show Ben how special his present was to her by displaying it proudly for everyone to see.

Leaving her hut, Rey closed the metal door quietly behind her. Her stomach twisted in nervous knots as she passed by his newly-acquired hut, which was dangerously close to hers. She decided not to disturb him. He'd been through so many harrowing experiences that day; she figured he needed some moments of solitude however brief they were. She secretly hoped he would join her at the party for at least some portion of the night.

As Rey continued down toward the beach, worrisome thoughts began to hurriedly dart through her mind. The troubling vision of Ben's future conflicted her the most. She was delighted to know that she would be a part of his future, but was saddened by the idea that he may be haunted by his father's actions for the rest of his life. Ben had made so many mistakes throughout his life already; he hoped he wasn't doomed to repeat Han Solo's mistakes as well.

The thought of what they'd done in the cave then came into the forefront of her mind. Neither one of them had mentioned it to the other since it happened. Rey had revelled in the feeling of his lips on her skin, his strong hands on her body. She couldn't quite shake the notion of how it felt to be so close to him, straddling his lap and sensing his growing need for her. She ran her hands up to her neck, trying to quell the waves of the desire that swept through her body. Rey worried again that he might not have enjoyed it as much as she did, that he felt it was a little rushed and in the heat of the moment. Of course, she could have entered his mind just as she had the day they first met, but that was too intrusive. They weren't enemies any longer. She hoped to have her questions answered willingly later that evening.

As she neared the beach, Rey could hear the cheerful music and discern the myriad of lit torches illuminating the Lanai village. She found her way through the jagged boulders that littered the shoreline and remembered the time she'd ran toward the party many months ago, ready to take on the Visitors before they raided and pillaged the island. How idiotic she'd felt after she realized it was all a ruse devised by Luke Skywalker to ignite the fire she'd needed to take down Kylo Ren and the First Order.

Joining the party, practically unnoticed, Rey watched as the male and female Lanai hopped merrily around the flames of the bonfire in the center of the dance floor. The lively music of the flutes and homemade percussion flowed into her ears, bringing her a sense of serenity amidst her troublesome thoughts. She recalled the time she'd danced with Luke those many months ago; it had been nice to free herself for awhile amidst the reality of eventually having to return to the Resistance. For a moment, she could almost picture herself with Ben happily dancing around the fire, hand in hand.

Sighing, Rey leaned against a table fashioned from the mammoth bones of a thala-siren and picked up a cup of black ale. She tipped the bottom of the cup to the night sky and guzzled down the entire contents, planting the vessel firmly back down on the table.

 _A little liquid courage couldn't hurt_ , she thought.

Glancing around the party, Rey noticed one of the males, Hesper-Inguza, as he stood several yards away from her, joyfully playing his bagpipes. Hesper was extremely fond of her and had always asked her to dance when the Visitors came to deliver fish and celebrate with the caretakers. She gave him a friendly smile and waved, and he immediately threw down his instrument, making a beeline to her position. One of the female caretakers, who had obviously been flirting with him, crossed her short arms and groaned in frustration as he left.

Knowing Rey couldn't understand his language, Hesper used hand motions to signal his desire to dance with her. Rey grinned from ear to ear and walked with him out onto the dance floor. Laughing, she mimicked his movements, a jumble of vulgar gyrations that would make a Wookiee blush. They continued to dance and twirl about the bonfire until Rey became lost in all the merriment and festivities that she'd almost forgotten about Ben.

That was until she saw him.

Rey stopped dead in her tracks, her smile instantly fading, as Ben emerged from the shadows of the night. If Hesper continued to dance around the fire without her, she didn't notice; she was completely captivated by the sight of Ben Solo. He was wearing a beige Jedi-like garment and trousers complete with a hooded, brown robe and matching boots. Where he'd managed to find the clothes, she would probably never know. His hair was thoroughly groomed and the top layers were pulled back, fastened somewhere on the back of his head. Her breath caught in her throat, and the familiar feeling stirred inside her.

Rey realized in that moment that the feeling she felt toward Ben was love. She truly, deeply, and irrevocably loved Ben Solo. It was something she'd been afraid to admit to herself, let alone admit to him. She wanted to run to him and tell him just how much she loved and cared for him, but she didn't dare move, fearing he may not feel the same way about her.

Then, he saw her.

Ben's brown eyes immediately softened as he took in the sight of her. He studied Rey's body up and down, raising his eyebrows in unmistakable approval. Smiling, Ben closed the gap between them by several yards, and all time seemed to stop. The couple stood there staring at each other for what seemed like eons, oblivious to the sights and sounds of the party surrounding them.

"Rey," Ben breathlessly whispered too low for anyone to hear except for her. He appeared to be having trouble saying anything other than her name; he was completely lost in her.

"Ben," Rey finally stuttered, reaching out to him, just as Hesper swooped in between them and grabbed both of her hands. He began spinning her around the bonfire once again.

Rey gave Ben an apologetic look as she allowed Hesper to drag her through several more rounds of whatever he called dancing. Ben smiled and chuckled, watching the two of them prance around the throng of guests. It seemed he was enjoying watching her humiliate herself in front of him.

Rey secretly hoped Ben would rescue her from Hesper before her lungs burst from lack of air, but he strolled over to the bar and grabbed a glass of ale. He took a few long sips of the black liquid just as the music began to transition into a slower-paced song. Rey's hopes soon faded when Hesper pulled her close and rocked her back and forth to the rhythm of the new tune.

"May I have this dance?" Ben asked in a firm, but soft tone. He had come up behind them so quickly that his sudden appearance startled her.

Rey's heart began to beat like drum inside her chest, and she furiously nodded her head in response. Hesper seemed a little intimidated by Ben's towering height and girth, immediately lowering his arms in disappointment. He retreated back to his corner with the other musicians and retrieved his bagpipes.

"Thank you for saving me," Rey shyly told Ben, peering up at him through her lashes.

"No problem," Ben replied, taking her waist with one of his arms and her hand with the other. "I was getting rather jealous of him."

"Oh, really?" She asked somewhat rhetorically. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she smiled up at him as he began to slowly dance with her beside the fire. The warmth of his body coupled with that of the fire sent a wave of heat streaming throughout her being.

"Absolutely," he whispered into her ear. "You look incredible."

Rey's grin widened, and she briefly looked away, embarrassed.

"Thank you, and so do you. Where did you get the robes?"

"I found them in an old wardrobe inside my hut," Ben answered. "I guess they belonged to another Jedi. I don't think they're Luke's. They wouldn't have fit me otherwise."

"You're right about that." Rey returned her gaze to his face. She stared into his brown eyes, wondering what he was thinking. "So no more black?"

"Well, I'm still partial to black, but," he said firmly. "I wore these just for you. I thought you might like them."

"I do. Very much," she relayed, elated that he'd thought to dress in that particular way to please her. She frankly didn't care what he wore as long as he was still her Ben.

"I like what you've done with my father's dice," Ben noted, fingering them atop the fabric of her dress. "I would've never thought to wear them that way. It's quite nice."

"Thank you for giving them to me," Rey responded. "I wanted to keep them close to my heart."

Ben smiled down at her, seemingly pleased with what she'd said. He pulled her close to his chest, and she rested her head on his left shoulder, relishing in the comfort she found there.

The slow song soon ended, but the couple continued to sway despite the momentary pause. The musicians then began to play once again, this time choosing an upbeat tune to break the silence.

Not even a second later, Ben unexpectedly twirled her under his arm and then dipped her, his massive hand cradling the back of her neck. His lips came down just inches from hers. Rey fought to breathe as he brought her back up to standing position, leaving her in a daze.

 _Did Ben Solo know how to dance?_ She was completely astonished.

"How did you -" Rey struggled to finish her question, too confused to say anything further. The blood was still returning from her head back to the rest of her body.

"My mother." Ben embraced her once again, swaying her back and forth on the dance floor. "I used to have to attend these fancy galas with her as a boy. Since my father was always gone and wanted _nothing_ to do with those types of things, I stepped in as her escort. I learned a thing or two."

"Ben Solo, you are a complete mystery to me," Rey said in jest, tapping him lightly on the shoulder, impressed. "I wonder what other secrets you're keeping from me."

"Well, for one." He leaned in toward her ear, his voice sending goosebumps down her neck. "This dress is driving me fucking insane."

Rey's heart leapt at his words, and she couldn't believe what he'd just said. Her body reacted instantly. A shiver traveled down to her chest, causing her nipples to harden beneath the sheer fabric of her gown. She felt the part of her that had desired him in the cave begin to achingly pulsate.

"Care to join me for a walk down the beach?" Ben breathed again into her neck and then pulled away, offering her an outstretched hand.

"Y-Yes," she managed to stammer, completely enraptured by him, and took his hand.

Hurriedly, Ben led her down to the shoreline, gripping her hand so tightly Rey thought he might break her fingers. Adrenaline coupled with nervousness pumped steadily through her veins at the thought of what might happen once they reached the ocean's edge. She wanted it to happen so badly, but still another part of her didn't think they were quite ready. They hadn't really even talked since they'd shared a moment of bliss in the dark cave, and she needed to know just how he felt about her. Did he love her too?

As they finally reached the shore, dark clouds started to quickly roll in from the sea. Ben flung her body toward him and grasped the sides of her face with his large hands, ignoring the storm about to ravage the island. He frantically leaned his head in and crushed his lips to hers. Rey forcefully grabbed the back of his head, and Ben deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue roughly into her mouth. His arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Immediately, Rey jumped into his arms, enclosing her shaking legs around his waist, and grasped his shoulders with all the strength she could muster. They both let out a moan when their arousals came in contact.

Rey wanted him; she wanted him now. Consequences be damned. As the thought entered her mind, lightning flickered off in the distance and rain began to shower over them.

Supporting her body with both arms, Ben bent his knees and lay her gently down on the sand. The ground was quite frigid and wet against her bare back, but Rey hardly noticed. Ben was about to make love to her. It could have been fifty degrees below zero, and she wouldn't have even flinched.

Ben hovered above her and stared down at her face, his black hair now drenched with rain, as if he didn't quite know what to do next. With trembling hands, Rey reached behind her neck, unfastening the cloth, and pulled the damp fabric down her torso to reveal herself to him. Ben took a deep inhale as he gazed down at her naked breasts glowing pale white in the moonlight. Sensing his uneasiness, she nervously took one of his hands and placed his palm on one of her breasts. His hands shook, but began to massage each one, causing Rey's eyes to close and roll to the back of her head. Rey soon felt his hot mouth as his lips tenderly teased and sucked her nipples, causing her back to arch off the sand. The sensation of his soft lips against her skin rendered her breathless, and the area in between her legs hungrily burned for him.

Not being able to take the tension anymore, Rey hitched up the fabric at the bottom of her dress. Ben responded immediately, removing his robe and pulling his trousers down slightly. As he came back onto his knees, she freely opened her legs, beckoning him to where she desired him most.

"Rey," Ben said as he positioned himself between her knees. "Have you ever done this before?"

"No," she replied, biting her lower lip. "You?"

Ben shook his head, peering into her hazel eyes. Drops of rainwater languidly rolled from his forehead and off the base of his chin. Rey could sense how apprehensive he was by the look in his eyes.

"Really?" Rey didn't truly believe him.

"Never," Ben admitted. "Remember, I was a Jedi once. We were forbidden to love."

 _Love_. The single word hung in the air. Did he just admit that he loved her?

One of the elder scavengers on Jakku had told her once that sex didn't always equate with love. Many men took it without permission and sometimes they would say certain words just to have their way with you. Rey knew deep down in her heart that this wasn't either case. It couldn't be; Ben wouldn't do that to her.

Sensing his uneasiness, Rey reached between her legs and guided him to her center. She could feel Ben's body tense, but then he shoved himself with all of his might into her. They both cried out in a wail that could only be described as a mixture of both pain and pleasure.

Ben paused and a look of worry covered his face. Rey kissed him sweetly on the lips to reassure him, her being throbbing with the feeling of him inside her. She had to remind herself to keep breathing. The pain was minimal, but she was sure it would subside as their time together went on.

" _There is no passion, there is serenity_ ," Ben recited a portion of the Jedi Code as if he were trying to center himself, beginning to thrust in and out of her. Then, he was mostly silent.

Rey gripped his shoulders, trying to breathe, her mind a jumble of emotions. She couldn't believe what they were doing, yet she could feel him moving inside her.

Who would've thought they would end up here when they first met on Takodana? She'd been ready to kill him that day, carelessly firing her blaster at him amongst the large stones of the forest. Now, she deeply loved him and would have easily died in his stead.

"Ben, Ben," Rey repeated his name in whispers through her uneven breath.

His movements soon began to feel amazing; her body surged with sheer pleasure. Rey forcefully grabbed his bottom, pressing him deeper inside her. She was utterly overwhelmed by the sensation between her legs. Her whole body was a livewire—she could feel it everywhere. Rey could sense the Force swirling about them, making the storm grow more violent with every thrust. Lightning angrily flashed in the sky above them, and thunder boomed so loudly it would have deafened anyone within earshot.

"Rey, oh, fuck." Ben made one last swift movement, pressing himself with all his strength into her.

Just as he met his release, a lone tree on the side of the cliff burst into flames as if it had been struck by lightning. The enraptured couple on the sand failed to notice.

Ben collapsed on top of her, still filling her, breathless and drenched with rain. Rey wrapped her arms around his torso, smiling from ear to ear in total euphoria. She planted a soft kiss on his wet hair and stared up at the moon shining down on them like a spotlight.

The dark clouds had now parted, and everything was still and calm. They had just freely given of themselves to each other, two halves of the same whole coming together in complete and perfect balance. Rey wanted nothing more than to break every clock and stay in that moment for the rest of their lives.

 **A/N: I have no words. Do you like the fact that they gave in or not? Was it too soon? Will there be repercussions? Let me know what you thought. I always love hearing from readers. Thank you for reading! ~ Dazzy xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9: Soft Skeletons

**Chapter 9: Soft Skeletons**

" _Hands like secrets are the hardest thing to keep from you._

 _Lines and phrases like knives your words can cut me through."_

 _~Anberlin, "Dismantle. Repair."_

Rey woke several minutes later on the sand, covered in what appeared to be Ben's brown robe. However brief her nap was, it was the first time she'd slept without nightmares in months. She sat up, draping the robe around her bare torso, and searched the beach for him in the light of the distant moon. He was only a few yards away from her, crouched on his knees, staring off at the ocean as the tide slowly crept toward the shore. He stretched out his hand and trailed his fingers through the wet sand as if lost in deep thought.

Rey's lips formed a soft smile, and she closed her eyes, remembering the moment they'd just shared on the beach. It was everything she'd hoped it would be and more. Her only hope now was that he'd felt the same way.

Rising up onto her feet, Rey slipped her arms into the robe and folded her arms across her chest to invite the much-needed warmth. She looked back toward the Lanai village and could tell from the sound of the distant music and twinkling torches that the party was back in full swing after the fleeting storm. The smell of smoke and smoldering ash hovered in the air around her, but she couldn't tell where it was coming from.

Rey took a few wobbly steps toward Ben, feeling quite anxious, and desperately tried to think of what to say to him once she reached him. They had just experienced the most intimate moment any two people could share. Their relationship would never be the same.

"Ben?" Rey called to him, touching him lightly on the shoulder. "I -"

"Don't touch me!" Ben spat out through gritted teeth, shrugging her off. He placed his head in his hands and softened his tone. "I'm sorry, Rey. Just give me a minute."

Rey felt her stomach lurch. He hadn't been that cross with her in days, since he'd come back to the Light. She remained quiet for several moments, her mind reeling with the lingering notion that he was angry at her for some reason. She cautiously knelt behind him and watched as he rocked his body back and forth holding his knees.

"Do you know what they called me as a boy?" Ben finally broke the silence. He turned his body slightly, his face silhouetted against the horizon. "Do you?"

"Who are you talking about, Ben?'" She asked, wishing she could just hold him, but she didn't dare move. He was extremely vulnerable at the moment.

"They called me a _monster,_ " he said, his body trembling with anger. "I overheard them say it once."

"Who, Ben?" She went to reach for him, but stopped herself, not wanting to upset him further. "Who called you that?"

"My parents," Ben hissed and stood, walking a few feet away from her. He looked back at her with a vile glint in his eyes. "They called me a MONSTER, Rey!"

"I'm sorry." Rey stood beside him and hugged her shoulders beneath the robe. The looming tears started to well up in her hazel eyes. His sudden change in demeanor was frightening her. "I'm so sorry, Ben."

"I was so angry, Rey. I would have these violent tantrums and use the Force to break things around the house. They were _scared_ of me!" He shouted so loud at her, she jumped. He had that look in his eyes again, the look from Snoke's throne room when they'd dueled over her saber, after she'd rejected his offer to join him. "That's why they sent me away with Luke! They. Were. Scared. Of. Me."

Rey didn't know what to say to make his pain go away. She wondered why he'd gone dark so unexpectedly. Maybe what he'd seen about his future in the cave affected him more than she'd previously thought. Maybe he'd spent too much time alone with his thoughts that he'd regressed back to a version of his former self. She was completely terrified.

"Is this about what you saw in the cave?" Rey questioned him, hoping to get the answers she needed.

"What's it to you?" Ben was so angry, he was shaking again. It seemed as if he was struggling to control it. "I'm sorry, Rey."

Ben slumped to his knees, placing a hand to the sand to steady himself. He pounded his fist against the wet sand, sending shockwaves across the beach. Rey fell to her knees in front of him after the waves had passed.

"Ben, you won't become like your father. I can help you," she assured him, putting a hand tenderly on his left shoulder.

His head immediately shot up. His eyes were completely black. "How do you know what I saw?"

Rey withdrew her hand in shock, and sat back on her knees, sighing. Despondent tears began to stream furiously down her cheeks.

"How do you know what I saw!" He repeated, raising his voice, when she didn't answer right away. She flinched; it was as if his voice hit her like a blow to the chest.

"I followed you down to the cave, remember? I thought I heard you calling me," Rey spoke through her sobs.

"I didn't call to you," Ben scoffed. "Why would I _call_ you? I told you I wanted to go there by myself."

"I'm so sorry, Ben." Rey held her head in her hands, cursing herself for what she'd done. She should have told him sooner.

" _You_ called me a monster."

Rey looked up only to see Ben devilishly smirk at her. Her tears ran down over her lips, and she let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Ben, please don't do this," she begged him. The tears were coming faster now. She hated herself for ever calling him a monster, now knowing that his parents had called him that once too. No wonder it had caused him so much pain when she'd said it in the past.

"Did you _not_ call me a monster then?" He vehemently asked her, almost spitting out his words. "Twice, I think it was."

"Yes, but -" Rey desperately tried to calm him with her words. He was breaking her heart. "You know I don't think that way anymore."

"What _do_ you think of me then?"

Rey swallowed hard, mustering the courage she needed to admit how she felt to him, and quickly wiped away her tears. Was she ready to tell him? Could she go through with it and face possible rejection? She feared his rejection of her more than anything. She had been tossed aside and forgotten by so many people in her past; she couldn't bear another loss, especially just after giving him the most precious part of her.

"I-I love you, Ben Solo," she said, looking into his fiery eyes. His expression didn't even falter. "I love you with all that I have."

"You _love_ me?" Ben laughed maniacally and came to a standing position. He hurriedly ran his fingers through his black hair. "How could you love me? No one has EVER loved me!"

"That's not true!" She defiantly stood up to meet him. "Your parents loved you! Luke loved you! I love you!"

"Ha!" Ben picked up a large stone with the Force and violently flung it into the ocean. The splash sent rivulets of water high into air. He looked back at her, screaming into her face. "THAT is a lie! They never gave a DAMN about me!"

Rey quickly grabbed his arm as he started to reach for another stone. He instantly struggled to break free from her grasp, but she managed to press his hand over her heart. It seemed to calm him slightly, and his breathing started to return to a steady rhythm.

"Feel that," she demanded, trying to make him see reason. "My heart is filled with nothing but love for you. I will not stand here and listen to you talk about yourself that way. You are the most important person in my life, probably the most important person in the entire galaxy."

"Oh, Rey," he breathed out her name, closing his eyes, his hand still over her heart. As she held his hand to her chest, she could feel his surmounting pain emanating through their connection. It made her so weak in the knees, her legs almost buckled to the sand.

"If I didn't love you, why would I have let you make love to me?" Rey asked him, regaining her composure.

Ben let go and sauntered back toward the shoreline.

"I think that was a mistake," he said dejectedly. His tone was utterly broken.

"A mistake? How could you say that, Ben?" Rey blinked through her tears. Her heart instantly shattered in her chest. The pain was almost crippling. "You didn't seem to think it was a mistake at the time. You wanted it just as much as I did!"

"Of course, I did," Ben replied resolutely. "I want you even now. You have no idea how much I want you!"

"So what's the fucking problem then!" She screamed at him, exasperated. He wasn't making any logical sense.

"The fucking problem is I don't want to end up like my father!"

And there it was. The reason for all of this darkness and angst.

"But what does that have to do with… _oh_."

The realization hit Rey straight in the face. She hadn't even thought about the possibility of becoming pregnant, but it in fact was a possibility. Just the thought of having Ben's baby, her belly round with his child, made her heart swell with happiness. Still, another part of her began to panic. They had been extremely careless in their love-making. Bringing a child into this galaxy filled with so much violence and unrest was dangerous, risky at best. A child whose parents were the two most wanted people in the galaxy would be sure to fetch a hefty bounty as well.

"I just can't be a father, Rey," Ben admitted sadly. He toppled to the sand again, gripping his hair with his hands. "What if they're just like me? What if I send them away?"

"Ben," Rey said, coming onto her knees in front of him. She remembered her own parents, the way they'd sold her when she was of no use to them anymore. Ben had helped her come to terms with it back on the Supremacy. She hoped that now she could help him do the same. She took his hands into hers and looked into his melancholy eyes.

"I'm sorry your father disappointed you, but you've learned from his mistakes. You're not destined to repeat them. We make our own destiny."

"I almost became as powerful as Darth Vader." Ben gazed down at their hands entwined together. "I was so easily seduced by Snoke to the Dark Side. What if that happens to our children, Rey? What if they are so strong with the Force that they become something worse than my grandfather? My mother even said that through us together, the Force could wield a power greater than this galaxy has ever seen."

"Power isn't always a bad thing," Rey countered. "If you use it for good, not evil. I think Leia meant that together we can bring balance to the Force, that we can restore peace back to the galaxy."

"But our children, Rey." Ben raised his head, a look of desperation on his face. His brown eyes were saturated with tears. "What if they're not able to resist the Dark?"

"Then, we'll do everything in our power to help them. We won't send them away like your parents did. We'll never abandon them like my parents did." Rey cupped his cheeks with her hands, wiping away his tears with her thumbs. "We'll hold them close and love them with every fiber of our beings."

"Rey, I don't deserve you." Ben removed her hands from his face, bringing her palms to his lips, and kissed them sweetly. "You always see the good in me, even when I can't see it myself."

Rey's breath caught in her throat as she felt the touch of his lips on her skin once more. Carefully, she arose and straddled his legs, placing a knee on either side of lap. The Jedi robe she was wearing opened slightly, her bare center resting atop his waist. Ben placed his right hand around the base of her neck and gently leaned his head toward hers. Their foreheads touched tenderly, lingering there together for several abiding moments.

"I'm sorry, Rey." Ben sighed, their bodies positioned in perfect balance. Rey could feel his sorrow and guilt gradually seeping into their bond. Somehow, their connection had grown stronger since they'd joined together intimately. "I can't believe you're still here after what I said."

"I told you I would never let you go," Rey replied and pulled back slightly. She brushed back the hairs that had fallen into his face. She pressed several kisses to the scar that ran down his right cheek and then gave him a crooked grin. "I think you're stuck with me."

Ben smiled, letting out a small laugh. Then, his face suddenly became serious. Rey felt almost hypnotized as she stared into his brown eyes. Her heart began its familiar wild rhythm whenever he was near. Without him uttering a single word, she could sense that he wanted to be with her again.

Still straddling his lap, Rey slowly shrugged off the brown robe, one shoulder at a time. Ben's mouth fell wide open, his bottom lip trembling, as he took in her fully nude form. Her flawless skin glistened in the light from the moon just as it had only moments before. She wasn't nervous or afraid like she'd been their first time together; this was the man she loved, the man whose fiery gaze was now making her center burn with desire.

"Rey, my beautiful Rey," Ben whispered, reaching behind her head and releasing her hair from the messy bun. Her amber locks flowed down her shoulders, coming to rest just above her milky-white breasts. "I'm the luckiest man in the whole damn galaxy."

One of his hands then reached up and cupped her left breast, the thumb running back and forth over the hardened nub there. Rey cravingly groaned, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. She held her head back and began to rock her hips forward, her center rubbing back and forth over his length. She relished in the sensation of how it felt to be connected with him so intimately. She wondered if she would ever tire of his massive hands on her body.

Seizing his right hand from her breast, Rey maneuvered it between her legs and leaned back to allow him further access. Her legs violently shuddered when his fingers came in contact with her center. Needing no further reassurance, Ben slipped a finger inside her folds, gliding it slowly in and out of her.

"Oh, Ben, yes," Rey whimpered, her cheeks flushing with overwhelming heat. She began thrusting her hips to the rhythm of his movements, inviting his hand deeper inside her.

"Fuck, Rey, you are so damn sexy." Ben's husky voice sent shivers of pleasure all over her body. His thumb expertly toyed with her clit, bringing her closer and closer to satisfaction. Rey didn't know how he knew to touch her in just the right spot, and frankly, she didn't care. It felt so damn good.

"Ben, oh, kriff," she moaned as she grinded against his hand, leaning forward to crush her mouth to his. She began massaging his engorged length through his trousers and then sucked hard on his lower lip, making him moan.

"My naughty little scavenger." Ben picked up the pace, rapidly rubbing her clit in response. "Come for your Supreme Leader."

"Oh, Ben, YES!" Rey arched her back, still riding his hand. The intensity of his ministrations sent her over the moon, her orgasm soaring throughout her body in powerful waves. It was the first time she'd ever experienced something quite like that, yet it felt similar to the time when they'd touched hands through their bond those many months ago.

Ben then immediately withdrew his hand and forcefully flipped her over, bringing her body under his. He practically ripped the Jedi garments from his body before positioning himself between her legs again. Rey looked down and stared wide-eyed at his glorious erection between her legs, her core pulsating to be connected with it. She bent her legs and gripped his throbbing length with her right hand. Ben let out what sounded almost like a growl as she placed him at her wet entrance.

"Make love to me, Ben… please," Rey begged, and he immediately obliged, sheathing himself completely within her.

This time, there was no pain. The both of them cried out in pleasure as they reconnected, their lips hungrily locking together. Ben began to thrust in and out of her, clutching her hips to him as Rey matched his movements in perfect rhythm. It was as if their bodies were made to be together this way. They fit together so effortlessly, so flawlessly. It seemed as if they'd been waiting their entire lives for this moment.

The Force bond between them poured open, allowing them to sense what the other was feeling. Rey could feel his pleasure, and Ben could feel hers. It was as if they had become one being, molded together so perfectly; it was hard to discern where her body ended and his body began.

"Rey, I can _feel_ you," Ben said, breaking free of her lips to gasp for air. His body was practically shaking.

"I feel it too." She writhed under him in sheer contentment as he continued to pull in and out of her. "Oh, Ben, I feel it. Oh, my…"

Rey wrapped her arms and legs around his torso and turned them over, straddling his hips once again. She gripped his broad shoulders and frantically began to ride him back and forth. Ben bucked his hips toward hers, and the escalating need for release was overwhelming, yet she didn't want the bond between them to stop; she felt as if she might go insane.

Then, Rey's eyes slipped closed against her will, and she could feel something different. She knew instantly that it was Ben; his thoughts were seeping into her mind.

 _I love you, Rey. I've loved you since the moment I first saw you. That fire in your eyes when you pointed your blaster at me._ _No one had ever stood up to me like that before. I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I've caused you so much pain and grief. I'm not the monster I once was. You were never nothing. You were everything. You ARE everything._

"Oh, Ben," Rey cried out, tears cascading down her cheeks. No one had ever told her that they loved her before. It was possibly the happiest moment of her life.

Ben lifted his body, running his right hand lovingly over her shoulder to her neck, and kissed her so deeply, she could feel it all the way to her toes. He enveloped her with his burly arms and pulled her tightly against his chest, beginning to thrust gently against her again.

"I love you, Rey," he whispered into her hair as she mimicked his movements, bringing them to their moment of satisfaction together. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

Rey firmly gripped his shoulders, gritting her teeth amongst the sheer ecstasy that rocked her body. She could feel his pleasure perfectly entwined with hers; it was if they were floating above their bodies, high above the clouds, the earth of the island sinking beneath them into oblivion.

Joining together one last time, the couple collapsed into the other's embrace. The only sound Rey could hear was the ragged cadence of their breathing. They both clung to each other, their foreheads pressing together once again. Ben drew back his head and sweetly kissed her forehead, sweeping aside the hair dampened by sweat from her face.

"I love you, Rey." He pulled back to peer into her hazel eyes.

"I know," she simply responded, her chest still heaving. She smiled at him. "I love you too."

They stayed like that for the rest of the night, clinging to each other, comforting each other, loving each other. In the end, all they needed was each other, and they could face anything headed their way.

 **A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has read, left kudos, and/or commented. It means everything to me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. A little angst coupled with some sweet lovin'. The plot will start to rev up in the next few chapters, so I hope you'll stick around. Come hang out on Twitter - DazzledbyJake! ~ Dazzy xxoo**


	10. Chapter 10: Breathe

**Chapter 10: Breathe**

" _I can finally breathe,_

 _Suddenly alive._

 _I can finally move,_

 _The world feels revived."_

 _~ Anberlin, "Breathe"_

The next morning, Rey opened her eyes and used her hand to shield them from the blinding rays of the twin suns. As she sat up, she realized she was inside her hut, wrapped in her gray blankets, and laying on her own bed. From the angle of the sunlight pouring into the window of the hut, she could discern that it was almost noon. Ben must have brought her back home after they'd fallen asleep in each other's arms on the beach, after they'd professed their love to one another. She lay back on the bed and hugged the blankets to her body, remembering how exhilarating it had felt to hear those three little words from Ben's lips.

 _I love you, Rey_.

Rey's heart melted again at the thought. She couldn't believe he'd finally said the words. She had always feared that he wouldn't feel the same way about her, that she would never truly know how he felt. Now, she knew, and he wasn't just throwing the words around to appease her. She could _feel_ it through their connection. She could feel his undying love for her emanating from his body as they made love before he'd even uttered the words. She couldn't quite grasp how amazing it felt to know how much Ben loved her; she'd never known the feeling of romantic love, and she couldn't believe it had finally happened to her.

Rey grinned from ear to ear and stood, walking over to the window facing the ocean. The wind drifting into the window tossed her hair lightly, and she draped one of the blankets around her body, watching the tide as it gently caressed the shore. She wondered where Ben had went - if he'd went back to his hut or if he'd went down by the shore.

Then, she saw him, perched on a massive stone just outside her hut, his back to her. He was wearing his black tunic and trousers, his mind absorbed in one of the Jedi texts. The sight made her heart pound in her chest, and she longed to be near him again.

Dressing quickly, Rey donned her usual beige tunic and gray trousers and ran her hands through her hair in front of her mirror. She went to open the door when she noticed Han Solo's dice as well as her tattered dress on the table by her bed. She had completely forgotten about them when they'd made love by the ocean. Realizing that Ben must have brought the dice back with him, she pocketed the heirloom and headed outside the hut to meet him.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he said before she could even speak, turning to face her. He snapped the thick Jedi book closed and set it down beside him on the rock.

Ben immediately dismounted the boulder and ran to her, sweeping her up into his burly arms. They both happily laughed as he spun her around several times. As he placed her back on her feet, he grasped the sides of her face and kissed her so passionately, Rey almost swooned. The couple then stared into each other's eyes for several moments, feeling their love flow back and forth through their bond.

"How did you sleep?" Ben gently caressed her cheek. Rey sighed in contentment at his touch and wrapped her arms lovingly around his neck.

"The best I've ever slept," she replied, smiling up at him through her lashes. "How about you?"

"Same," he admitted, mirroring her grin. "We must do that every night before bed."

"I could get used to that," Rey agreed, sniffing the air, and looked over his shoulder. "Do I smell smoke? Did you _cook_?"

"I thought you might like some breakfast." Ben gestured toward a metal plate of charred fish positioned on a nearby stone. "It might be a little cold now. I didn't want to wake you."

"A dancer and a cook? I think I'll keep you, Ben Solo."

Tears began to rim Rey's hazel eyes as she sauntered over to the breakfast he'd made for her. She was so impressed; the fish looked and smelled amazing, and instantly, she realized just how famished she was. She didn't care how cold the breakfast was. She would have gladly eaten anything at the moment, even the Lanai's detestable barnacle soup.

Rey instantly grabbed the fish with her bare hands and gobbled it all down in a matter of seconds. She would stop occasionally to spit out a stray bone or two, and Ben watched her in astonishment, trying to quell his laughter to no avail.

"Wow, you really have no decorum, my little scavenger," Ben remarked, chuckling. "I was always taught to eat with utensils… and with my mouth closed."

"Shut up!" Rey punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You didn't live in poverty your entire life, scavenging spare parts to trade for food. I was happy just to eat."

Ben's smile faded. His body shrunk into itself. "I'm sorry, Rey."

"No, no, no." Rey threw her finished plate aside and took his hands into hers. "You didn't offend me. I know you were just joking."

"No, it's just," Ben said sorrowfully. "You've had nothing your whole life and had to fight for everything you did have. I wish I could have been there. I would have given you the entire galaxy."

Rey's heart instantly swelled. This man loved her so much; it hurt him to know how much suffering she'd been through just as it pained her to know how much he'd been through. In that way, they would always understand each other. They were kindred spirits in almost every way possible.

"You already have in so many ways," Rey assured him, patting his hands. She sent him more reassurance through their bond. "Thank you for making me breakfast. It was delicious."

Rey gathered up her plate and scraped off the remains of the fish into the grass. Ben was rather quiet as he watched her.

"What's this cuff on your arm for?" Ben curiously asked after a few moments.

"Oh," Rey began, placing the plate back on the large stone. She looked down at the cuff concealing her scars, frowning. "To cover my scars, the ones from Snoke's guard."

"I love your scars," Ben said, unlatching the cuff from around her bicep. He tossed it in the grass alongside the scraps from her breakfast. He then pressed his lips to the marks that resembled two hands reaching out for each other. "You got them fighting for me, for us. You don't need to hide them."

Rey couldn't believe that she could love him anymore, yet she did in that very moment. He had managed to surprise her once again with how kind and gentle he could be. However, his lips left a burning sensation against her skin, and her mind started to drift to thoughts of their time together on the beach. She wanted him again so badly.

"So, I was thinking." Rey bit her lip and looked up at him hopefully. "Maybe we could take a bath in the waterfall. I think I might still have sand in my ass from last night."

"Oh, hell yes." Ben whispered, his brown eyes igniting with desire.

Before she knew what was happening, Ben swept her up into his arms and began to carry her down to the waterfall. In a matter of seconds, their clothes and boots were a tangled mess on the grass beside the churning water. Rey entered the water first, her naked body shivering slightly in the frigid temperature. Ben joined her soon after, pulling her body to him immediately. Their lips forcibly pressed together like the opposite poles of a magnet, desperately needing to be connected again.

"Rey, does it ever stop?" Ben broke free from her lips, breathless.

"Does _what_ ever stop?" She kissed his lips once more, trailing a path down his neck to his chest. She wanted to taste him this time, every single last part of him, and he wasn't about to stop her.

"The wanting you." Ben gulped as her lips went to work painstakingly descending his body. "Oh, Rey… I always want you."

Reaching his torso, Rey jutted out her tongue and ravenously traced the grooves between his defined abdominals. His skin tasted like hot, melted chocolate beneath her tongue, and she greedily relished in the glorious flavor that was Ben Solo.

"I certainly hope not," Rey said, looking up at him with a slight smirk. Her lips were just centimeters from where he desired her most. "Because I'll never stop wanting you either."

Rey gripped her hands around his throbbing length, cravingly licking her lips at the sight. Her mouth began to water; the thirst for him was staggering. Lowering her head, she leaned in and gently kissed his sensitive tip.

"Oh, yes," Ben moaned as she began to glide her tongue down his length and ascend back up again. "Take me in your mouth, Rey. Please."

Without hesitating, Rey encased her mouth around him and began to suck roughly. His girth was so thick, she couldn't believe that it had fit so perfectly inside her the night before.

"Fuck." Ben fastened his hands around her head, guiding himself toward the back of her throat.

Rey relaxed her throat and let him do the work, while still using her tongue to intensify his pleasure. She could feel his body begin to shake, and through their bond, she could feel his ecstasy all the way down to her core.

Suddenly, Ben stopped his frantic movements, grabbing onto her shoulders.

"I need to be inside you _now_."

Smiling, Rey let him drop from her mouth and demurely replied, "Yes, Supreme Leader. Anything you want."

"Oh, Force, Rey." Ben's eyes widened at her lustful choice of words as he helped her to a standing position. He ran his calloused right palm down the valley between her bare breasts. Her breath hitched in her throat as his fingers then descended and grazed the place that achingly hungered for him. "You take my breath away. I can't believe you're all mine."

"I can't believe _you're_ mine," Rey said, leaning forward to press her lips to his. "You're so beautiful, Ben."

Ben immediately hoisted her into his burly arms, her legs hooked around his waist. He threw her up against the nearby wall of stone, and Rey's eyes rolled to the back of her head as she felt his erection grind against her pulsating center. She gulped, knowing that she wanted him just as much, if not more. She hadn't been with him intimately in almost twelve hours, yet it had felt like an eternity.

Rey stretched her arms out at her sides along the flat stone to steady herself. Ben didn't waste any time; she soon felt him carefully slide into her, filling her completely. She sucked in a breath and felt her walls begin to throb all around him. She didn't think this moment called for a session of lovemaking; she wanted something more passionate, more aggressive. More intense. She was almost embarrassed to admit it.

"Fuck me, Ben," she said in a whimper, trying to remember to breathe, and repositioned her hands on his shoulders.

"What did you say?" He pressed his nose to hers, his eyes intently searching her own. His stillness inside her was driving her utterly mad; her body practically ached with desire. "Say it again."

"Fuck me, Ben. Please, baby," she begged and pressed her lips to his, impatiently thrusting her hips forward. She could tell that Ben was purposefully making her beg, but it deeply spurred her on.

Rey moved her lips to his left ear, whispering, "Fuck. Me. Now."

She then took his earlobe between her lips and sucked hard. That was all it took.

Ben plastered her back up against the stone, pressing himself all the way inside her to the hilt. She moaned as he then pulled back and rammed into her once again.

"More," she yelped, relishing in the new sensations and pleasures now rushing through her veins.

Ben began to move faster, pinning her hands above her head and crushing his lips to hers.

"Do you like me fucking you, Rey?" His husky voice hissed against her neck as he took a much needed breath. His words sent electrified pulses all the way to her waist.

"Yes, Ben… oh, kriff, Ben, harder!" She screamed, not fully believing the words that were escaping her mouth. She wanted to feel every inch of him and as deeply as possible.

In one swift movement, Ben grabbed her by the hips and flung her onto the elevated bank of the pool, exposing her to the air. He pried her legs from around his waist and raised them to his shoulders, his body still in the water. Positioning himself back at her entrance, Ben gently glided back into her.

"Oh, kriff," Rey murmured as he filled her this time. The pressure had intensified tenfold.

"You like that?" Ben smiled devilishly, his face twisting in pleasure. He roughly thrust his hips against her over and over again, pulling almost all the way out and then crashing back into her sex, her legs balanced on his shoulders.

"Yes, oh, Ben!" She ran her hands up to her breasts and began to tease her nipples while he pounded her. Ben was hitting spots inside her she never knew existed; she could hardly fathom how amazingly euphoric she felt at the moment.

"Rey, yes! Oh, fuck," Ben growled, pushing slightly forward against her legs. Rey almost lost her sanity as he finished inside her and bit down on her right shoulder. She still couldn't believe how amazing it felt to sense his pleasure balanced completely with her own.

After a few fleeting moments, Ben forcefully grabbed her wrists. Rey looked at him in bewilderment as a seductive grin shot across his face.

"It's _your_ turn."

Slipping out of her, Ben spun her around and locked her arms around his neck from behind. The constant shower of water cascaded down the length of her body, only to help set the mood even further. He traced a line down each arm with the backs of his hands all the way to her chest. A tingly chill rippled across Rey's skin, ignited by his calloused, yet gentle, fingertips. Reaching her chest, he tenderly cupped her breasts with both of his large hands. She threw her head back against his shoulder as he began to pinch and twist her nipples, causing the moisture to seep even more between her legs.

"Ben." Her lips parted with the word, her breath ragged. "Please..."

"Tell me what you want, my little scavenger," Ben's husky voice seductively breathed onto her neck.

"I want you to make love to me... " She paused as he soothed her nipples with the pads of his thumbs, "w-with your hands."

"Mmm," Ben hummed, lazily trailing his fingers down to her navel, pausing momentarily. "As you wish."

Rey gulped hard as his hands spread her thighs apart, slightly grazing her folds with the tips of his strong fingers.

"I love you, Rey." Ben kissed the skin between her neck and shoulder blade. "You're all I've ever wanted."

"I love you, too." She turned her head so that she could kiss him on the lips.

Ben worshipfully devoured her mouth as he plunged a finger inside her from behind, curling and twisting it, while massaging her clit with the fingers of his other hand. Rey was somewhat sore from their little romp against the stone wall, but the pleasure of being intimate with him again soon overruled any sensitivity she felt.

Ben growled, pumping his finger even faster. "You're so fucking wet."

"Uh, uh, you make me this way, Ben," she panted as the pressure began to gradually build between her legs. She reached forward and hooked her hands around the stone ledge under the waterfall, bucking her hips against the force of his fingers.

"Oh, yes, Ben… yes, right there."

"Right here?" Ben responded, obligingly pinching her swollen clit and crooking the finger inside her at the same time. Rey nearly came undone at the seams.

"Yes, fuck." Her knees almost buckled beneath her as unbridled pleasure shot through her body.

"Come, Rey," he howled, nipping at her neck with his teeth, continuing to tease her with his fingers. She could now feel him grinding himself against her bottom. "Scream my name as you come."

Needing no further encouragement, Rey soared toward her peak at his lust-filled words, her walls clenching around his finger. Her eyes blinked as her vision suddenly burst into a thousand black spots.

"Yes, Ben Solo! OH, FUCK YES!" She weakly leaned back against his chest, hardly able to stand, as she came down from her high. She released her hands from the stone in front of her and ran them through her soaked hair.

Kissing the side of her head, Ben said, "I could listen to you say my name forever."

"Me too," Rey admitted between uneven breaths. Slowly regaining her strength, she pivoted her body to face him.

"I hope I wasn't too rough. I got a little carried away." Ben ran his hand up the inside of her bare leg, finally pausing just inches away from her sweet spot. Her skin broke out in gooseflesh at his touch.

"It was perfect," she spoke breathlessly, kissing him gently on the lips. She leaned back and let the spray of the waterfall wash over her body again.

"Rey?" Ben asked, watching her begin to cleanse herself under the shower.

"Yeah?" She looked back at him briefly before ducking her head under the water once more.

"I was thinking…" His voice trailed off almost as if he wasn't confident enough to speak the words. "Maybe… we should just… stay here… on the island."

Rey immediately raised her head, shock painted across her face. "What?"

"I love being here with you, and I'm tired of fighting. Can't we just stay here together? Raise a family here together?" Ben pulled her into his arms and placed his forehead to hers. Rey could tell by his expression and their connection that he was serious. "Forget everything and everyone?"

Part of her was deeply tempted by his suggestion. The last several days on the island with him were pure heaven to say the least. Rey could easily picture herself with him on Ahch-To, growing old together, raising their children to know nothing of the galaxy's violence and distress. Just the thought of it made her heart grow two sizes larger. The other part of her was overwhelmingly saddened that she would never see Finn or Poe or Chewbacca or any of her other friends ever again. Her Resistance friends needed her, as well as Ben, to help them win the war against Hux and the First Order. They couldn't just wallow in their happiness and leave everyone else to suffer and die at the hands of the enemy.

"Ben, we have to go back," Rey told him firmly. "Our friends need us. They can't win the war without us. We have to go back and fight."

" _Your_ friends, you mean." Ben sighed, closing his eyes. "This has been the happiest I've ever been, Rey… these past few days with you. I can't bear losing you in the fight. I've lost everyone else. I can't lose you too."

"I know," she sympathized with him. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you either, but that's the risk we have to take… and if the vision from the cave is correct, we will win."

"All those Force-sensitive people, you mean?" He pulled back from her. "That could mean anything. It doesn't necessarily mean we are destined to win."

"But it gives us hope, right? That there are others out there like us. Others that can help us bring peace to the galaxy. A new order of Jedi Knights," Rey's voice joyfully spoke as if she was trying to convince her own self. "They're going to need someone to lead them when the time comes."

Ben leaned against the edge of the pool and held his head in his hands. Rey could sense through their bond that he was conflicted on what to do. She hoped he would decide to come with her back to the Resistance, that he would stand and fight alongside her. She didn't know what she would do if he refused.

"Rey, you are completely right… as always. We can't run away from this even though I want to so badly." Ben let out an exaggerated breath, running his hands through his wet hair. "But Hux is cunning. I'm pretty sure he drugged me and that was how he was able to overpower me. He knew that would be the only way he could get to my mother. Without her leadership, the Resistance would be powerless and vulnerable. He's busy rallying Snoke's allies throughout the galaxy right now, I'm sure of it. It won't be long before he wipes out the remaining Resistance fighters and the First Order will dominate the entire galaxy. There'll be no stopping them."

"We have to go back and help the Resistance then." Rey relaxed against his broad chest as he then pulled her close. "You have the knowledge they'll need to defeat him."

"I know," he said, starting to shake in anger. "I just don't know what I'll do if I have face Hux again. I may not have to strength to stop myself from ending him, Rey. He murdered my mother."

"When the time comes, you'll know what to do," Rey assured him, calming him by placing a hand over his heart. "The Force will be with you and so will I."

"I know you will." Ben kissed her forehead, mirroring her gesture by pressing his hand to her heart. "I wouldn't have you anywhere else."

Rey smiled and then sighed, the weight of the world falling heavily onto her shoulders once more.

"I guess we should head back as soon as possible then," she suggested, almost regretfully. She would miss their blissful moments on the island, but knew going back was the right thing to do.

"We'll leave tomorrow morning," Ben said in agreement, looking off in the distance. "Let's enjoy this last day here together. It could be our final moment of peace before the real battle begins."

Rey nodded and said, "I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when I return with you. They're going to think I've gone completely mad."

~.~

The couple finished bathing after a few more moments, dressed back into their clothes, and headed back toward their huts.

As they walked back up the cliff, Ben reached over and took Rey's left hand into his. Rey smiled down at their hands entwined together, sending him her undying happiness that he was with her. He returned her grin as they neared that pathway to her hut.

Suddenly, Ben's smile waned as he caught a glimpse of something familiar over on the other side of the island. He stopped dead in his tracks. Rey almost stumbled backward from the force of his sudden movement as their hands were still connected.

"Ben, what's wrong?" She questioned him, looking in the same direction.

"Rey, what ship did you come here on?" Ben asked, squinting to fully discern the colossal object. His breathing started to escalate.

"The _Millenium Falcon_ ," Rey begrudgingly replied. She instantly began to brace herself for his wrath, knowing that it had been a long time since he'd seen his father's ship. She had an overwhelming feeling that it would send him spiralling into darkness once again.

Without saying a word, Ben let go of her hand and took off down the cliff toward the freighter that once belonged to his father.

"Ben, wait!" Rey ran after him, hoping she could reach him before he entered the ship.

Nearing the _Falcon_ , Rey saw him standing motionless in front of the massive ship. He was completely still, and she could tell he was lost in the memories of his father.

As if he'd sensed her there, Ben turned, smiling slightly, and beckoned to her with an outstretched hand, "Come with me."

Taking her hand, Ben slowly led her into the ship. Once inside, he let go and ran his hands along the walls of the corridors, tracing the pathway to the cockpit with his long fingers.

Rey was honored that he'd asked her to go with him. She stayed close behind him and could sense the flood of memories, both good and bad, as they steadily poured through his mind. The thought of him being back on the ship that somewhat symbolized his childhood made her eyes start to fill with tears. She just hoped that it wouldn't send him into another downward spiral of angst and sadness.

As he entered the cockpit, Ben ran his fingers over the menagerie of levers and buttons on the control panels as if he were remembering the function and purpose of each one. Rey came into the chamber behind him and cautiously watched him.

A memory of something flashed through her mind. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out Han Solo's dice and looked down at them in her palms. She raised up on her toes beside him and hung them from the same fixture where she'd last seen them.

Ben turned and smiled up at the dice and then back down at her.

"I thought this was where they belonged," Rey simply said, flashing him a shy grin.

Pleased with her gesture, Ben swept her into his arms and spun her around again, kissing her deeply. She grinned against his lips, contented that he hadn't gone completely dark. She could sense from their bond that his emotions were perfectly balanced between the storm and the calm. Maybe he was getting better at controlling them.

Setting her back down, Ben sweetly said, "And this is where _you_ belong… in my arms."

Rey sighed, her heart almost bursting with happiness. He pulled away from her, and his expression suddenly changed.

With a certain light in his eyes, he exclaimed, "Let's go for a ride!"

Ben and Rey positioned themselves in the pilot and co-pilot chairs respectively, quickly fastening their safety harnesses. Ben switched on all the necessary levers and buttons, and Rey felt the familiar vibration of the engines springing to life. Before she knew it, the freighter took off into the sky, soaring high above the island with lightning speed. Her body thrilled with the notion of being back in the air again, her pilot heart reeling with the feeling of flying high above the clouds.

Rey peered over Ben, and his face bloomed with overflowing joy. He was a young boy again, gliding through the air on his father's ship without a care in the world. He looked over at her for a brief moment and gave her a flirty wink. Rey was so happy that she couldn't hold back her tears.

"Hold on!" Ben warned before sending the plane into a spiral, maneuvering through the sky with the greatest of ease. Rey gripped the edge of her seat, feeling her stomach drop as it flipped over and over again. She loved every second of it.

Continuing to enjoy his moment, Ben steered the _Falcon_ in between two islands off the coast of the main island. He swooped toward the water, sending splashes into the air around them as the ship gently skimmed the ocean. He continued to guide the ship over the island for several more exhilarating minutes before landing it safely back in its original position.

Killing the engines, Ben sat back in the captain's chair and remained silent. He placed his hands on his knees and took a deep breath. Rey could feel through their connection that he needed her. He wanted her to hold his hand.

Reaching over to him, she held out her right hand and lay it atop his. She sent him her love and ever-growing affection for him as she gripped his hand.

"Thank you, Rey. It's been a long time since I flew this old piece of junk." Ben peered over at her, laughing. He flipped his hand over to lace his fingers together with hers. "It was my father's pride and joy."

"I'm glad," she replied. "I would've brought you here sooner, but I didn't know how you would react."

"You were right to worry. I went onto the ship briefly when you were on Starkiller Base, but it was nothing to compare with this," he said, glancing around the cockpit. "I'm surprised I'm handling it this well. There are _so_ many memories here. Most of them are of my father, but also Luke and my mother and Chewbacca and Lando. It's all very overwhelming."

"Who's Lando?" Rey's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She unbuckled her harness and climbed into his lap. "Some old girlfriend I should know about?"

"Hardly," Ben responded, encasing her lovingly with his arms. "Lando Calrissian. _He_ was my father's good friend, very charismatic. I called him my uncle even though he wasn't technically."

"Oh, I've heard stories about him. He fought with your father against the Empire." Rey hooked her arms around his neck. "I'm sure he meant a lot to you."

"Yes, he did. He used to call me his 'little starfighter,'" Ben revealed, pressing his forehead to hers.

"Well, little starfighter." Rey planted a kiss to his nose and then moved down to his lips. She seductively brushed her lips against his. "Any other memories of this ship? Perhaps where the captain's quarters are? Because I sure remember them."

Before she could say anything further, Ben lifted her with his arms, bridal style, and threw her over his shoulder. Rey laughed excitedly, kicking her legs, as he carried her out of the cockpit.

Practically running into the captain's quarters, Ben set her down on the bed and kicked off his boots. He knelt in front of her, moving in between her legs, and hungrily caressed her lips. Rey hurriedly began undressing him, unfastening his tunic and helping him slip it down his arms and torso. With his lips still attached to hers, Ben grabbed the hem of her tunic and began to pull it up over her head.

"Well, well, well, it's nice to see you two are getting along." The familiar voice almost made Rey jump to the ceiling in surprise. "And from what I can tell, getting along _very_ well indeed."

The couple froze in disbelief.

"It can't be." Ben turned toward the sound of the voice, only to see his uncle standing in the threshold, a blue aura surrounding him. Mortified, Rey quickly repositioned her tunic and folded her arms over her chest in a huff.

"Oh, don't mind me," Luke Skywalker jokingly protested, holding up his hands. "Please continue. I'll wait."

"Ugh, Rey," Ben said, plopping down on the bed beside her, obviously irritated. "I think we may have to take a rain check on this one."

 **A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long to post. I wanted to make sure I included everything. As sad as it is, we will be leaving the island soon, but some of your favorite characters will make appearances so I don't think you'll be too upset. Thank you so much for reading and let me know what you thought. ~ Dazzy xxoo**


	11. Chapter 11: Safe Here

**Chapter 11: Safe Here**

" _We must be close nearby._

 _Hope cannot find our own way_

 _Through dark, it's cold, I'm told it's gray._

 _There's a light that never grows dim_ _._ _"_

 _Anberlin, "Safe Here"_

"Master Luke? How is it possible?" Rey looked up from her hands, which were now beaded with sweat.

Her stomach turned over at the thought of her teacher catching her again with Ben. She knew that the former Jedi Master would have something antagonistic to say about their now intimate relationship. He'd warned her before about opening herself up to the Dark Side due to her fondness for Ben, for "a pair of pretty eyes" as he'd said. Even though she'd been able to resist the pull, she braced herself for his inevitable condemnation, ready to defend their love if need be.

"Nevermind that. What in the HELL are you doing here, old man?" Ben's frustrated expression had completely changed. "I don't have anything to say to you that I haven't already said."

Rey could feel his anger surmounting toward a pinnacle like a switch had been flipped on inside his being. His body began to shake violently and his hands formed into fists so tight that his knuckles paled to white. She placed a hand on his bare shoulder, and he vehemently shrugged her off.

"Just leave me alone, Rey. Please."

"Well, kid, I sensed a disturbance in the Force and had to come check it out for myself," the ghost of Luke Skywalker began, stepping into the captain's quarters. He had shorter hair than Rey remembered with a well-groomed beard, wearing dark Jedi robes with a white tunic underneath. He looked younger, not the haggard, aged man she'd known before. "I just didn't expect that _this_ is what I would find. The two of you together, playing _house_ while the Resistance was being completely wiped out. I thought you said you were going to destroy her, Ben, not press her against every surface you could find."

Luke held out his hands toward the bed, spreading them apart in an exaggerated attempt at a joke. His eyes then peered over at Rey whose mouth was still agape in disbelief at his sudden appearance. She swiftly snapped out of her trance and stood up to meet him. Her hand darted out and swept through the figure in front of her. Luke's image flickered slightly, and Rey's breath became trapped in her throat.

"Amazing," Rey noted, running her hand back through the aura again. "Will this happen to me after I die?"

"If you're done violating me, Rey, I would like to get on with why I'm here," Luke said, walking over to his nephew.

Rey snatched her hand back and watched as Ben sat on the bed, gritting his teeth, sweat pouring from his forehead and hair. She tried to calm him through their bond, but her efforts only worked briefly. His anger was too elevated for her to reach him at this point. She just hoped he wouldn't snap and say or do something to Luke that he would regret later. This was a second chance at atonement which both of them desperately needed.

"Ben." Luke's ghost knelt before him and placed what seemed to be a solid gloved hand on his knee. It was the hand Luke had lost in battle against his father, the one that had been replaced with a mechanical surrogate. Ben's head shot straight up, refusing to turn toward his uncle.

The image reminded Rey of a moment back on Jakku when she was a teenager. A little scavenger boy had been weeping after his toy was stolen by a gang of older boys at Niima Outpost. He couldn't have been more than five years old if Rey's memory served correct, his sweet face filled with melancholy tears. His father had knelt before him, wiping away his tears, and assured him everything was going to be all right. It had made Rey tear up at the time, and now seeing Luke and Ben in the same position, she couldn't stop the tears from blurring her vision again.

"Look at me, Ben," Luke demanded, gently patting his knee. Ben's face turned, his hate-filled eyes leering at his uncle. "I want you to know that I forgive you for everything you've done. For destroying the temple, for killing my Padawans, for joining Snoke and the First Order, for killing Han. I forgive you… I know that's not who you truly were… you were scared and I wasn't there to help you as I'd promised your mother."

Ben looked back down at the floor, his bottom lip quivering. He sucked in a sharp breath and forcefully blew it out, his jaw clenching. The walls of the _Falcon_ began to rattle with the racing, conflicting emotions coursing through his body. Rey feared he might ultimately destroy his father's ship in anger before Luke's visit was all said and done.

"I'm so proud of you, Ben… for coming back to the Light," Luke continued, his voice calm and soothing as if he was oblivious to the ship shaking around him. "I thought Rey was foolish for thinking she could help you turn, but now, I know that I was wrong. I thought she was just smitten by your good looks, _which we all know you inherited from me_ , but she was right all along."

Luke turned to give Rey a soft smile, and she returned his gesture, biting her lower lip in nervousness, as several tears rolled off her cheeks and moistened her tunic below. Rey let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and wondered if she shouldn't leave them to sort everything out on their own.

"And I'm sorry too. For ever thinking about ending your life. You were like a son to me, Ben. I failed you in so many ways, and I'm sorry." Luke held his head down as if he were ashamed of what he'd done in the past.

Ben was silent, brooding in distress at his uncle's words. Rey could tell that he was about to blow and wanted so desperately to go to him, but her legs were failing her. Besides, it would seem like an unwelcome intrusion.

"Luke." The whisper broke free from Ben's lips along with several beads of sweat. "I'm… s-s-sorry. I'm so sorry."

Suddenly, the captain's quarters stopped quaking, and the room was filled with an overwhelming sense of calm. Before Rey could even blink, Ben fell into his uncle's arms and miraculously, they became solid, immediately wrapping around him with a tender fierceness. There were no lightsabers, no First Order, no Resistance, no Jedi, no anger; there were only an uncle and his nephew. It was a beautiful, unspoken moment of truce.

"Ben, I'm so proud of you." The words were muffled, but Rey could hear them distinctly. Her heart broke into a million pieces at the sight of Ben and his uncle embracing, something she'd never thought she would see. "And Leia is too. I'm sure of it."

Slowly backing out of the threshold, Rey thought she should give them some privacy, only to have Luke call out to her.

"Don't even think about it, Rey." She froze in the doorway, her eyes widening in surprise. "Come sit down. I have something I need say to you as well."

Rey steeled herself for several agonizing minutes as Luke continued to hug Ben, knowing that he was possibly about to scold her like a naughty child who had been caught eating sweets without permission. Slowly, she forced herself over to the bed and sat down beside Ben.

"My darling, Rey." Luke pulled away from Ben, but kept hold of his left hand. Rey's heart pounded like a drum in her chest as Luke grasped ahold of her right hand and placed it into Ben's. "This man loves you with everything he has. I can see why the Force has brought you two together. The second he touched me, I could feel his love for you, and I can feel your love for him, Rey. I feared the two of you coming together because I knew what would happen, and it terrified me. My father and my mother both had an intense, passionate love for one another, but it ended in sadness and unspeakable tragedy. I couldn't let it happen all over again, not to my nephew and my learner. But now, I know, as with everything, I was wrong about that too."

"Thank you, Master Luke," Rey said, lacing her fingers together with Ben's. She looked down at their hands bound together. Ben pulled them up to his lips and kissed them sweetly, his sweat mixed with his tears wetting her knuckles.

"Thank you for your blessing, uncle," Ben finally spoke and placed his free hand on Luke's shoulder.

"I always taught Ben and my other learners to avoid distractions like romantic love, but maybe there is a gray area after all. The two of you together are bringing balance to the Force as we speak. It has already begun. I can feel it. It's the moment I've been waiting a lifetime to see." Luke's image started to falter, and Ben's hand slipped through the air, almost causing him to stumble.

"Luke, don't leave us yet. We need your guidance," Ben beckoned to him, frantically trying make his uncle stay.

"You don't need me. You have each other. That's all you need now." Luke's voice was beginning to wane. "Oh, and before I go, I left you something in the Jedi temple, under the mosaic. Run your fingers along the black stones of the Prime Jedi's saber. It's been waiting for you a long time, Ben. The island caretakers have taken great care of it in my stead. Now, put a shirt on and go get it."

"Master Luke!" Rey's tears welled up in her eyes once more as Luke's ghost winked at them and then vanished into thin air.

Ben and Rey looked at each other when the moment had passed. Through their bond, they both knew there was no time to lose. Ben grabbed his black tunic, and they raced, hand in hand, out of the _Millennium Falcon_ and up the twisting steps to the Jedi temple.

~.~

Entering the cave-like room at the top of the staircase, Ben halted his feet, the fading echoes of their steps dissolving within the chamber's walls. Rey stood still beside him as her hazel eyes fell upon the stone Jedi mosaic in the middle of the room. The rays of the late afternoon suns shone down on it in spectacular form as it had only yesterday, the black and alabaster stones gleaming masterfully amidst the darkness of the cave.

Cautiously, Ben stalked over to the stone artwork, kneeling on the raised platform before it, almost worshipfully. Reaching out his hand, he let his forefinger trace a soft line through the small pool of water down the top of the Jedi's lightsaber all the way to the hilt. He drew back his hand and waited, peering down at the image of his face reflected in the still water. When nothing happened, Rey began to walk toward him and placed a hand tenderly on his right shoulder.

"Maybe you should try again?" Rey assured him.

Ben patted her hand and went to repeat the motion when the earth around them unexpectedly began to tremble. Immediately, he stood and pulled her into his arms as if to shield her from the inevitable rain of debris when the mosaic in front of them violently splintered and collapsed in upon itself.

Then, the rattling of the temple came to an abrupt stop. Raising her head from Ben's shoulder, Rey stared in awe at the broken stones that had once formed the intricate image of the Prime Jedi. Ben noticed it too.

In the middle of the destroyed mosaic sat a small, wooden box covered in sooty, gray dust. From the looks of it, the wood appeared to be far along in age, an ancient relic from the Jedi of long ago. The lid was decorated with tiny shards of colored glass meticulously fashioned into the image of lightsaber with powerful wing-like emblems radiating out from both sides. The sight of it took Rey's breath away, and she could hear it calling to her, just as she'd heard Maz Kanata's curio box calling to her on Takodana.

Letting Ben take the lead, Rey watched as he knelt down and took the box into his strong hands. The box appeared rather dwarfed by the massiveness of his hands as he lifted it upward. Unfastening the leather strap that sealed the box shut, Ben carefully opened the lid, but something in Rey's heart told her that he already knew what lay inside its confines.

Ben soon hoisted the gold and silver object in his large palms, flipping the switch almost instantaneously and illuminating the entire cave in a greenish hue. The deafening hum of the plasma blade reverberated off the stone walls, and the wooden box fell to the stone floor, forgotten.

An electrified chill erupted down Rey's spine as Ben turned to face her, holding the very lightsaber that had once been fashioned by his uncle, Luke Skywalker. Through their bond, she knew what the object was without ever having to be told.

Ben's chest heaved frenetically as he peered down at the laser sword in his grasp and then back at Rey. His expression reminded her of the one he'd wore the moment he'd murdered Snoke, when she'd grabbed her saber in midair and looked back at him in astonishment at what he'd done.

"Luke's green saber," Ben finally broke the silence between them, nervously laughing. He twisted the hilt in his hand to get a feel of its weight, the blade buzzing as it cut through the molecules of the air. "He kept it hidden here for me all this time. It's as if he knew I'd come here all along. He never gave up on me after all."

"You mean, _your_ saber." Rey languidly sauntered toward him, basking in the emerald glow of the plasma blade. She ran her fingers along the shaft to gain a better look. "Luke has passed it on to you. It belongs to you now."

" _First comes the day  
Then comes the night.  
After the darkness  
Shines through the light.  
The difference, they say,  
Is only made right  
By the resolving of gray  
Through refined Jedi sight_."

Ben's eloquent recitation of prose left Rey utterly speechless as he held his newly-acquired saber in his right palm.

"It's a verse from one of the Jedi texts you let me borrow," Ben answered her silent question, lifting the saber vertically toward his face. "For some reason, that particular rhyme stood out to me, almost as if I'd heard it before. Maybe in another time, another place, another life."

"It's beautiful, Ben," Rey forced herself to speak. "What do you think it means?"

"It means the only way to bring order to the galaxy is through the 'resolving of gray' - perfect balance between the darkness and the light." Ben paused and drew in a sharp breath. "Luke was right. It's us, Rey. We're the gray."

"Oh, Ben," Rey said, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her skin rippled in gooseflesh at his words. She knew in her heart that he was right, what she'd known all along. Together they would bring ultimate balance to the Force, and according to Luke, they already were. It had been foretold by the Jedi of long ago. "How do we finish it then? I mean, how do we completely balance the Force?"

"I don't know exactly," Ben replied honestly. "It must have something to do with us coming together, defeating the First Order together, and then maybe finding and training a new generation of Jedi like you said before."

"Right." Rey frowned, wiping away her tears. "That's doesn't sound complicated at all."

"You're telling me," he said, switching off the blade. "This is all so overwhelming, Rey. First, the _Falcon_ , then Luke, now this."

"I know." Rey sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her close, the saber pressing into her back as he continued to grasp it firmly. "And tomorrow, we're heading back to the Resistance. It's all overwhelming for me too."

Their foreheads magnetically pressed together as they always did when they embraced. The connection between them grew stronger, and Rey could feel his apprehension, his worry, his anxiety about returning to the Resistance. He worried mostly that they would imprison her or worse, _hurt_ her, for aligning herself with him, the dethroned Supreme Leader of the First Order. He didn't care what they did to him; he deserved anything they threw at them for letting Hux murder his mother, General Organa. Just the thought sent her anxiety skyrocketing throughout her entire being, but she quietly soothed them both through their bond. She knew that together they could overcome anything placed in their way. Somehow, someway, they would succeed and peace would finally be restored to the galaxy.

"You don't know how happy you make me, Rey. You completely balance me, you bring Light to the Dark Side of me." Ben reached up and cradled her chin with his free hand, still resting his forehead against hers. He placed the saber in its rightful position on his belt, claiming it as his own. "I was so terrified that you were going to realize you'd made a mistake and go running back to the Resistance without me. I still am terrified. I keep thinking you're gonna disappear."

"Ben, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere without you. As you said, you can't bring balance to the Force without me," she said, kissing the tips of his fingers as they brushed over her lips. She captured the end of his forefinger with her mouth and sucked on it gently.

Ben's eyes flared with longing at her gesture, his breath becoming uneven. His Adam's apple bobbed as he loudly gulped.

Rey whispered against his fingers, peering up at him seductively, "I'm all yours."

 _Fuck_ , Ben's lips mouthed the word, the sound becoming lodged in his throat. Rey knew that he could feel the all-encompassing desire that now rushed through her veins.

Before she could register what was happening, Ben had her pinned inside an alcove underneath the towering walls of the temple, her legs bound around his waist. His lips devoured hers as she raked her nails down his muscular back through his tunic.

"I want you, Rey," Ben growled, breaking apart from her swollen lips. He pulled down the neckline of her tunic, hungrily taking her right nipple into his mouth. His wet tongue lapped around her nub several times before he sucked on it roughly. "I want to worship you, my beautiful gray goddess, right here in this fucking temple… on my knees."

"Oh, yes, Ben, please," Rey moaned loudly, feeling the wetness growing between her legs at the thought of him on his knees in front of her. She hastily unfastened his trousers and reached under the constricting band of his undergarments, freeing his glorious erection.

"Please…" She begged again. Her hand ran up and down the length of his shaft, and she felt him grow harder in her grasp with the motion.

"Damn, Rey." Ben immediately fisted her trousers, yanking them downward, and Rey shucked off her boots, kicking aside her pants.

With one swift movement, he then ripped away the barrier of her undergarments and motioned for her to skim down the rock wall into a squatting position. She was ever so happy to oblige. Coming onto his knees, he placed his arms between her legs and under her thighs and took on her full weight so that she needed no other support. His hands strongly clasped her bottom, holding her in midair, and propped her legs on his shoulders.

"Oh, Force, you smell amazing." Ben moaned between her legs, selfishly inhaling the scent of her arousal. "May I worship you, Rey?"

" _Please_ ," she whisperingly besought him, almost gasping at the thought, and tilted her head slightly backward in anticipation.

Ben slowly kissed up her left thigh, his tongue just grazing her delicate flesh. The light scruff of hair on his chin sent a trail of fire down her skin as he went. Rey squirmed at the sensation and impatiently bucked her hips toward him. Unable to take the tension any longer, she forced his head to her moist center, and he snickered, the vibrations of his laughter almost sending her plummeting into bliss.

"So impatient, my little scavenger."

Softly, Ben began to trace her folds with his tongue, teasing her just above the spot where she wanted him to be. She pressed his head closer to her core in urgency, pleading with him to taste her even deeper.

Sensing her need, Ben plunged his tongue into her pulsating heat and then lapped it up and down her clit rapidly at a steady speed. Rey's body writhed in intense pleasure as he repeated the same pattern several more times. She soon soared over the edge of her peak, gripping the edges of the rocks around her in sweet release. He had made her come in only a matter of seconds with his tongue.

"You taste so fucking good, Rey." Ben licked the remaining juices from around her center and stood, wrapping her legs around his waist once more.

Quickly, he immersed himself deeply inside her. Their bodies lingered in that position for several excruciating seconds, Rey's core throbbing at the sensation of him buried within her. It never ceased to amaze her how he could fit so flawlessly inside her.

"Rey," Ben breathlessly spoke, looking at her with such tenderness. "I'm so in love with you."

His thrilling words left her completely speechless even though she'd heard him say it many times before.

"I know," she simply replied, and he smiled wider than she thought his face could allow, realizing that she was repeating his parents' gesture. She had never been more sure of anything in her life. She could easily imagine herself shrouded in Ben's warm, loving arms for the rest of her existence.

But what would that mean for them when they returned to the Resistance? Her future and Ben's future were still unknown, but Rey decided to push away those terrifying thoughts for now and focus on the present. After all, the present was all they had.

"I've never felt this way about anyone before," Ben confessed between heaving breaths as he began to pull in and out of her, plastering her against the rocky surface. "I never thought I'd be capable of loving anyone."

Rey responded by greedily wrapping her lips around his, darting her tongue searchingly into his hot mouth and tasting her juices on his tongue. He was right; she did taste good, and she devilishly sucked his lips, relishing in her own essence. Ben moaned as he felt her delight in the taste on his lips, beginning to move more urgently against her.

Her eyes whipped around to the back of her head as her hips rose up to meet him. It felt amazing, so much better than the first few times they had made love. The way Ben held her and touched her, Rey felt so treasured, as if she were the most beautiful woman in the entire galaxy.

Rey clutched Ben's waist to her with her right leg, rubbing her clit rapidly against his body, the saber on his belt hitting right under her thigh. Soon, she felt her release building once more, and she could sense through their connection that he was almost there too.

"Come with me, Ben," she whimpered, latching her hands onto his shoulders.

Ben's warm brown eyes locked into hers, and he moved impossibly faster against her. Through their connection, they felt each other's pleasure heightening, spurring them into their shared moment of bliss.

"Fuck," Ben lustily grunted as he came hard inside her, gently nibbling her shoulder. "I love you, sweetheart."

She followed him in satisfaction soon after, riding out the surges of her orgasm as they swept over her like the crashing waves against the sand. She screamed out his name at the top of her lungs and grit her teeth together in order to breathe, her cries of ecstasy echoing off the cave walls.

"Mmm," Ben hummed, caressing her mouth with his lips as her orgasm subsided. "Good?"

Instead of responding, Rey dejectedly slumped against the temple wall, the uncontrollable tears refusing to be suppressed. She held her head down unable to speak amidst the unexpected shift in her emotions.

Ben immediately pulled her into his arms, already knowing the trigger behind her sudden sadness. The weight of everything beared down like a ten-ton boulder on top of Rey's shoulders, suffocating her to the point that she could scarcely breathe. Her mind raced with unrelenting thoughts: the abandonment of her parents, the hardships of her former life as a scavenger, the awakening of her Force abilities, the foreign intimacy she shared with Ben, and now the seemingly-impossible task of defeating the First Order. She felt as if her mind was being stretched too thin, threatening to snap and rip her body and soul completely apart.

"Shhh," Ben soothed her, cradling her in his strong arms. "I know, sweetheart. I know."

"Ben, I don't know if I can do this," Rey cried amongst her gasps for air, burying her head in his chest, her tears dampening his black fabric of his tunic.

"Rey, if there's one thing I've learned about you, it's this," Ben whispered calmingly, moisture rimming his brown eyes. "You're a survivor, a fighter. You never let anything or anyone stand in the way of what you want, what you know is right. I mean, look at me."

Ben drew back, so that he could gaze upon her face. He lifted his large, calloused hands and erased the tears from under her hazel eyes with his thumbs.

"You helped me turn back to the Light," he said assuringly. "You never gave up on me when I didn't think it was even possible myself. You saw the man behind the mask and I will forever be grateful. You're my savior, Rey. My salvation, my everything."

Rey sniffed, smiling slightly as he held her there in the ancient Jedi temple. The optimistic look on his face coupled with his words made her heart flutter with unabiding hope.

"I can't do this without you. I _won't_ do this without you," Ben added resolutely. He reached down and pressed a firm yet affectionate kiss to her forehead, sending all of his love and unwavering confidence in her through their bond.

"I love you, Ben," Rey simply replied. She placed a soft kiss to the hollow of his neck and relaxed once more against his chest. With her faith restored, she knew they could defeat any obstacle placed in their way.

"I love you too, Rey," Ben reciprocated, resting his head on top of hers.

Sometime afterward, Ben dressed and carried her out onto the ledge where his uncle had given Rey her first lesson in the ways of the Force. He rested her body gently on the rocks of the precipice facing the horizon and draped his arms lovingly about her shoulders. The couple then watched in reverence as the twin suns of Ahch-To descended on them for the last time.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you thought in the comments. We're going back to the Resistance in the next chapter! So excited to get to this part of the story. ~Dazzy xxoo**


	12. Chapter 12: The Resistance

**Chapter 12: The Resistance**

" _We will hold together to become the change,_

 _Voice for the voiceless with every common man engaged."_

 _~Anberlin, "The Resistance"_

Later that evening, Ben and Rey returned to the festivities down by the caretakers' village to celebrate their last night on Ahch-To. The multi-day Festival of Return was a much-needed reprieve from the seriousness and possibly even perilous journey that lay ahead of them the next morning.

The Lanai heartily welcomed the couple into their party, fully aware of their plans to vacate the island, bringing them drinks along with several unpalatable dishes and playing songs in their honor. Rey even joked that they were probably delighted that the two of them were leaving due to the irreparable damage they had caused during their stay. Hesper, her former dance partner, was beside himself with grief, sobbing quietly in his corner with the other musicians for most of the night. Ben and Rey danced to several songs, both upbeat and slow-tempoed, holding each other close and enjoying their last moments on the island where they fell in love.

Before Ben and Rey returned to their huts for the night, the Lanai presented the couple with a gift, a star compass that had once belonged to Luke Skywalker. Rey marveled at the beautiful silver antiquity adorned with a brilliant-blue lodestone inside its confines. Ben recognized it immediately as he had observed and studied it during his training with Luke before the destruction of the Jedi temple. He explained to Rey that the compass might prove beneficial to their journey as it was attuned to hyperspace vectors and would allow them to find almost any destination they desired.

Thanking the caretakers for their thoughtful gifts and hospitality, Ben and Rey retreated to their side of the island for the remainder of their time on Temple Island. Since neither one of them wanted to sleep alone, they spent the night in Rey's hut, snuggled together in her somewhat cramped bed. Unable to sleep for most of the night, they talked in soft whispers and shared several stolen kisses before the inevitable pull of sleep consumed them both.

~.~

The next morning, Ben and Rey gathered their personal items, some old and some new, and loaded them into the captain's quarters of the _Millennium Falcon_. Standing on the ledge near their huts, they both embraced and looked out toward the ocean for one final moment of peace and serenity.

"You know what I realized?" Ben asked, his arms snaked around her waist, beginning to sway them both back and forth to the rhythm of the tide below.

"Hmm?" Rey wrapped her arms tighter about his shoulders, peering at the smaller islands off in the distance.

"This is the ocean, the island," Ben said softly, brushing his lips against the flesh of her neck, and looked up at her. "The ones you used to imagine on Jakku, to help you fall asleep at night."

"You mean, the ones you saw when you invaded my mind so rudely?" Rey gave him a leering expression.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," he replied, pulling her closer, and kissed her cheek. "It's almost as if you knew you'd come here one day."

"I know. It's amazing, isn't it?" She added. "And to think these past few nights were possibly the only times I've slept without having nightmares about my past. My mind was longing for these moments here… these moments here with you."

"I've never slept better than with you by my side as well." Ben smiled and took her hands into hers, kissing them sweetly in the old ways of propriety. "I hate to say this, Rey, but I think we should get going. We need all the time we can."

"Okay." Rey frowned. "Can you give me a few minutes? I need to say goodbye to a old friend."

"Sure, sweetheart," he agreed, seeing the image of her porg friend clearly in his mind through their connection. "I'll be waiting in the _Falcon_."

Ben squeezed her hand and traveled back toward the massive freighter as Rey turned toward the ocean once again.

"Finn!" She cried out toward the sea, the echoes of her calls bouncing off the towering cliffs and back to her ears. "Finn! Come here, boy!"

Within seconds, her sweet little porg friend fluttered down and perched himself on the boulder beside her, his face painted with a quizzical expression. Rey sauntered toward him, stretching out her hand, and gently pet his head one last time.

"I'm sorry, buddy, but I'm leaving today… with Ben," she told him.

Finn cooed and squeaked, almost exasperatedly, flapping his wings rapidly in response.

"I know, and I'm sorry. We need to help some friends out," Rey answered him, cupping her hand around her mouth as if she were divulging a dark secret. Her hazel eyes sparkled. "You know, Jedi stuff."

"Ooooh!" Finn replied and jumped up and down excitedly.

Just then, another porg about the same size as Finn fluttered down beside him on the large stone, startling Rey. Finn waddled closer and protectively wrapped his right wing around the newly-arrived creature. Rey knew from the pattern and colors of its feathers that the porg was female. She then realized that her porg friend had found his mate, someone to share his life with, just as she had.

"So this is your mate, huh?" Rey assumed, turning her attention to the second porg. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Rey and I think I'll call you… _Rose._ "

The newly-named Rose replied with a soft squeak, showing her approval of the monicker. Rey gave the porg couple a broad smile in return and began to ascend the stone steps off of the ledge.

"Goodbye, my little friends. Maybe I'll see you again sometime," she called to them, giving them a brief wave.

Rey looked back, only to see the two creatures embracing just as she and Ben had done only moments before. The sight made her heart swell with overflowing joy that Finn had found a companion after living most of his life as an orphan. The irony of it all was not lost on Rey whose eyes soon flooded with bittersweet tears.

As she stalked back toward the _Falcon_ , Rey reflected on her time on Temple Island on the planet of Ahch-To. She had succeeded in not only mending her saber, rescuing an abandoned porg, and helping Ben Solo return to the Light, but she had also succeeded in discovering her purpose, why she'd been rightfully placed in the universe. It was to find the lost, the forgotten, and the broken things, leading them down the pathway to wholeness and perfect balance.

~.~

Leaving the atmosphere of Ahch-To, the _Millennium Falcon_ prepared to hyperjump through the dark void of space toward the desert planet, Cantonica. Rey's hazel eyes watched through the glass shield of the cockpit as the stars streaked in front of her, the freighter beneath her hurtling through the vastness ahead. Moments later, the dusty-gold orb appeared before them, rising like a dull sun amidst the fading lines of starlight.

Rey held her breath, her heart racing like a landspeeder within her chest. This was it. The moment they'd looked forward to, but also dreaded. She hoped the Resistance still resided in the catacombs underneath the capital city of Canto Bight, perfectly hidden from the First Order. Something inside her stirred as she stared down at the planet before her, calming her anxiety slightly.

"Shields up," Ben said from the captain's seat, quickly flipping the necessary switches on the console. "I'm not detecting any First Order ships, but they shouldn't be able to penetrate the shields if we're ambushed… Rey?"

When she didn't answer, he placed a reassuring hand on top of hers.

"Rey," Ben whispered her name. "We'll get through this, sweetheart. Together."

"I'm just worried, Ben," she replied in confusion, returning her attention to Cantonica. "Something's off, I can feel it. The Force is strong here, but how is it possible?"

"I feel it too," he retorted. "It's definitely the Force and… it seems to be getting stronger as we near the surface."

Before Ben could finish speaking, the needle of the star compass positioned upon the console started to spin wildly as if an invisible magnet was hovering around it. Rey immediately retrieved the silver object and held it out in her palm, watching the needle's rapid motion in awe.

"I think this is where we need to be then." She laughed slightly, placing the compass back on the console.

Ben nodded in agreement, beginning to steer the ship cautiously into the planet's atmosphere.

As the _Falcon_ skimmed over the surface, Rey's expression fell instantaneously, her lungs beginning to fail her. The once bustling city of Canto Bight was completely decimated and left in utter ruins. The massive casino was barely noticeable with only the main structural beams rising like huge steel fingers from the heap of rubble and decaying corpses beneath it. The Sea of Cantonica ran red with the poison of cannon fire and rusted metal that now resided within its depths like a churning, boiling stew. The racetrack was littered with dozens of downed TIE-fighters and the rotting bodies of numerous fathiers. Rey's heart began to ache for the fallen residents and creatures who had been robbed of their lives so prematurely and unnecessarily by the greedy hands of war.

Following the beacon emanating through the compass, Ben circled around the Old Town area of the city over the exact spot where Rey had left the Resistance several months ago.

"It's right here! The base is under the stones right here!" Rey exclaimed, pointing toward the street below. "We'll need to hide the ship though, somewhere out of sight."

After landing the ship under the cover of a nearby bridge, Ben and Rey donned long robes to mask their identities, arming themselves with their lightsabers and blasters. They then exited the _Falcon_ and stealthily scaled the broken walls along stone street toward the entrance to the catacombs. Rey noticed several tattered posters proclaiming "Join the Resistance" were still intact along the crumbling city walls as well as many others with First Order propaganda plastered over them.

Stepping over a myriad of broken stones into the next alleyway, Rey soon found the small, but distinct, Resistance emblem marking the entrance on a stone wall. Pushing on it lightly, Rey stood back as the emblem buzzed with the recognition of her touch and the stones recessed to form an opening in the wall.

"I want one of these," Ben whispered, running his hands along the threshold in awe, and followed Rey into the catacombs. The stones instantly closed behind them, sealing them off from the outside world.

Rey rolled her eyes, mumbling "men" under her breath, as she descended the stairs illuminated by torchlight under the desecrated city. She could feel the Force becoming stronger with every step, humming like a silent song all around them. She shucked off her robe, stepping toward the metal door at the end of the dim staircase.

"Keep your robe on," Rey warned him, placing her hand on the electronic scanner on the right side of the door. "I don't want them to recognize you just yet. They may shoot first and ask questions later."

Ben obeyed, shifting the hood to fully conceal his face, and entered the door behind her once it had lifted high enough for them to walk under.

"Rey!" She recognized Finn's voice immediately as she carefully sauntered into the rotunda. "You're back! We're so glad you're back!"

Glancing around the confines of the Resistance base, Rey saw her friend racing down the corridor to meet her with several other familiar faces in tow. She sighed in relief that Finn and the others had been spared by the First Order ambush.

Finn joyfully swooped her into his arms, twirling her around for a few fleeting seconds, and then set her back down. As he released her, he planted a chaste kiss on her left cheek. Rey heard Ben let out a low growl at Finn's gesture behind her, but she chose to ignore it.

"Rey! It's Rey! Rey's come back to us!" The other voices boomed as Rey greeted them all with gentle hugs.

"What brings you back?" Kaydel Ko Connix asked as Rey hugged her. "Did you find out how to mend your lightsaber?"

"Actually, I did," Rey said and showed them the repaired saber on her belt. The throng of onlookers smiled and whispered amongst themselves as they gazed in wonder at the weapon about her waist. "I heard about the First Order attack on the city and about Leia's passing. I knew I had to come back and rejoin the Resistance. Figured you needed all the help you could get."

"Absolutely," Poe answered, his face beaming with an ear-to-ear grin. He gave her a wink and pulled her into a firm hug. "I'm so glad you're home."

"Rey!" Chewbacca growled in Shyriiwook and pushed Poe aside, heftily burying her in his all-encompassing furry embrace. Rey chuckled against his enormous body, fully taking in the musky scent of his fur coat that she had dearly missed.

BB-8, R2-D2, and C-3PO flanked closely around the crowd, and Rey made sure to greet her droid friends as well.

"Uh, Rey, who's your friend?" Finn called to her as she endearingly rubbed BB-8's round mechanical belly.

Rey's jovial smile faded as she stood and turned toward the black-hooded figure behind her. BB-8 made an inquisitive chirping sound, rolling back behind Poe, the top of his head peeking out from behind his master. With shaking legs, Rey walked over beside Ben and took a deep breath.

"This is going to come as a shock to you guys, but…" Rey let her voice trail off, searching her mind for the right words to justify his presence. She gulped when her mouth ran completely dry.

Before she could continue, as if he'd sensed Ben's identity, Chewbacca pushed every body in his way carelessly to the side and hoisted Ben up by the neck.

"Chewie, wait! Stop!" Rey begged as Chewbacca plastered Ben forcefully against the opposite wall, holding him tightly in place by the throat. R2-D2 rolled himself over to their position and began ramming his droid body over and over again into Ben's legs, beeping wildly.

"Chewie, please! It's me! I'm not _him_ anymore!" Ben forced the words from his mouth amongst the chokehold about his throat. "R2, ow! It's me - Ben!"

"Ben?" Chewbacca froze and then lowered his head toward Ben's face, using his free hand to remove his hood. He wailed in his native language as he gazed into Ben's brown eyes, "Little Ben?"

"Little Ben," Ben breathlessly replied as the brown, fur-covered hand lowered from his throat and set him back on the ground. R2-D2 halted his assault and whipped around several times, beeping Ben's name over and over again in disbelief.

Chewbacca backed away, moaning in what appeared to be a lament of both sadness and joy. Rey rolled her eyes at the Wookiee and rushed over to Ben to make sure he was all right.

"Ben Solo," C-3PO declared, his golden face pivoting toward Ben, his shiny mechanical arms flailing. "It _is_ you... oh, dear."

"Kylo Ren…" Finn announced in a low voice, his mouth agape in utter shock. He turned toward Rey, who was now holding Ben's face tenderly in her hands. "What in the HELL is he doing here, Rey? And why are you touching him? He's a monster and a murderer!"

"Guards!" Poe exclaimed immediately, pulling his blaster from his belt. "We have an intruder from the First Order!"

"No, no, no! Poe, you don't understand. Let me explain," Rey tried to make them see reason to no avail, holding up her arms in surrender. The guards soon appeared behind her Resistance friends with blasters in hand.

"Cuff this man!" Poe pointed his blaster in Ben's direction. "Search him for weapons and take him to the detention block."

"Poe, please! If you'll just let me explain!" Rey held up her hands, trying to prevent the guards from arresting Ben. Ben stood beside her in silence and grabbed onto her hand secretly out of view.

"Why are you defending him?" Poe inquired, completely perplexed, and motioned for her to step aside, still aiming his weapon at them. "He killed Han Solo and countless other members of the Resistance. He's the reason Luke Skywalker and General Organa are dead!"

"Let them take me, Rey," Ben whispered low in her ear, averting her attention. Rey could feel the anger beginning to surge through his veins. "This may be the only way gain their trust, to go without a fight."

"No, I won't let them touch you." Rey vehemently grit her teeth in defiance and leaned into him. "I can convince them of your goodness, I swear I can."

The guards stepped closer to their position against the wall, one of them revealing black handcuffs similar to the ones Ben had used on her aboard the _Supremacy_. Rey placed her body in front of Ben, shielding him with her arms.

"Rey, let them take me. It's okay," Ben implored her, his resolve wavering. He held out his arms toward the guards in surrender and spoke loud enough for everyone to here, "I surrender willingly to the Resistance."

"I love you," she spoke so softly that no one else but Ben could hear her, regretfully relenting to his request. Tears began to moisten her cheeks. "I'll get you out, I swear, if it's the last thing I ever do."

Rey reluctantly stepped aside, allowing the guards to fully search and restrain her beloved. The sound of the cuffs trapping his wrists within their grasp made Rey's heart shatter in her chest.

In a moment of desperation, Rey grabbed ahold of Ben's head and kissed him passionately, and he reciprocated in equivalent fervor.

 _Come to me_ , she sent him through their bond before letting him go. Ben nodded in response as the guards promptly yanked him away from her.

When the moment subsided, Rey watched in anguish as the guards hauled Ben down the corridor toward the prison cells. She felt her world beginning to crumble all around her, and the immediate sting of his absence was almost crippling.

Wiping away her tears, Rey turned back toward the crowd that had now grown greater in number. She froze. The entire chamber was silent, so eerily silent that you could have heard a pin drop. Rey's disheartened eyes fell upon the stunned throng of Resistance fighters. Every single last one of them stared at her in wide-eyed shock, their mouths hung open in disbelief at what they'd just witnessed.

"What?" Rey's rhetorical question hung in the air. She soon became aware of the confusion and incredulousness her desperate actions had caused.

"Rey, how could you?" Finn gasped and shook his head in disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Rey," Poe said after swallowing the thick lump in his throat. Hints of anger flared in his nostrils as he trained his blaster on her. "But I'm afraid we'll need to cuff you now as well."

~.~

"Okay, now that we're alone, please explain to me why you've brought the Supreme Leader of the First Order here." General Poe Dameron ran his hands quickly through his hair, pacing back and forth. He adjusted the collar of his dark leather jacket. "He's obviously not your prisoner, Rey. I'm trying to have an open mind, but it's becoming extremely difficult right now."

"I'm sorry, Poe, but he's changed. You have to believe me." Rey sat in silver-colored chair in front of a metal table in a small, unoccupied room. Her hands were bound in front of her with electronic restraints. Poe and Finn had taken her to a secluded area to question her privately away from prying eyes. She felt rather naked without her lightsaber and blaster, both of which they had confiscated from her.

"He's changed?" Finn spat out angrily. "It's impossible! That man - that _monster_ \- is pure evil, Rey!"

"Look, Finn, Poe." Rey tightened her hands into fists, the cuffs clanking against the metal table. "He came to me, okay? When I went to Skywalker's island on Ahch-To, knowing there was a bounty on my head, to keep you guys from being attacked because of me, he crash landed there. I helped him turn back to the Light. He's not the man he once was."

"You mean, he brainwashed you!" Poe slammed his hands violently on the table in front of her, making her jump. "He seduced you into bringing him here to destroy us from the inside out. Can't you see that?"

"You're wrong. We're… connected… by the Force. I know everything he's thinking and feeling. He didn't brainwash me!" Rey screamed at him, her agitation surmounting. "If he'd tried to do anything, I would've known instantly!"

"You're connected? Oh, come on, Rey, please don't tell me you've slept with him!" Poe leaned over the table toward her.

"That's NOT what I meant and besides, it's NONE of your business if I've slept with him or not!" Rey grit her teeth and stood up to meet him.

"None of my business? You've returned with the Supreme Leader of the First Order as your _lover_ and you expect me to believe that he's denounced his crown and joined the Resistance just like that?" Poe snapped his fingers to further illustrate his point. "It's just not feasible, Rey!"

"Finn changed," Rey explained, motioning to the former stormtrooper beside her, whose presence had almost been forgotten. "He was a soldier with the First Order, brainwashed his entire life to murder for the cause, and yet he deserted them. You even escaped with him, Poe. You trusted him when you were captured to lead you safely away from them. Why can't you trust me now?"

"This is completely different!" Poe shouted at her, his hands firmly on his hips, his brown eyes full of rage. "This is the man who tortured me, Rey! Kylo Ren has murdered dozens of innocent people, Leia Organa being one of them!"

"What?" Rey's expression turned to one of bewilderment. "That was Hux, Poe! He drugged Ben to get to her… right?"

Rey slumped back into her chair, feeling defeated. She tried desperately to inhale the air that was being readily sucked from her lungs.

"Rey, we've been trying to tell you, it was Kylo Ren who killed Leia. I saw him do it with my own eyes," Finn admitted, kneeling down beside her, his eyes not able to meet hers.

"No," Rey whispered dejectedly, her mind racing in disbelief. Ben had told her on Ahch-To that he'd seen Hux's face through his mother's eyes as she died. It wasn't possible; he wouldn't have lied to her. She would have felt it.

"Afraid so," Poe added, letting out a deep breath. "He was wearing the mask and the same black clothes."

"It was Hux! I'm telling you," Rey exasperatedly said. "He disguised himself as Kylo Ren to make Leia think it was him who killed her!"

"Why would Hux do that and not take credit for her murder himself?" Finn spoke the question that hung in the air.

"Because Hux knew it would infuriate Ben that she died knowing it was her son who killed her. It would be the ultimate act of betrayal and revenge. Don't you see that?"

Poe and Finn were quiet for several moments, stealing glances at each other from across the room. Rey could only stare at the faded Resistance emblem on the sleeve of Poe's leather jacket, wishing she could use Jedi mind tricks on him, but that would betray the trust she so badly wished to gain. Crossing his arms over his chest, Poe finally sighed.

"I just don't know about this, Rey," he told her, walking back toward her position. "I'm glad you're back, but I don't think we can trust you just yet. Finn, please take her to her quarters and we'll discuss this further later. I need some time to think through all of this."

Rey determinedly stood up, the force from her sudden movement sending the chair toppling to the floor behind her. Finn draped a hand around her shoulders and began to lead her out of the room.

"Make sure she gets something to eat as well." Poe's final words faded as Finn guided her gently down the corridor to her former quarters.

Rey looked back over her shoulder at Poe, only to see the new General of the Resistance as he furiously slammed his fists into the wall behind her.

"Finn," Rey whispered when they were out of earshot of Poe. "You believe me, don't you?"

"I don't know what to believe, Rey," he replied, unable to look her at her. "He's murdered so many people in the past. He terrifies me still, makes my blood run cold."

"He's not like that anymore, I swear it. He's atoned for those sins," Rey tried to convince her friend, hoping he would see that what she was claiming was the truth.

"I'm happy you're back, Rey." Finn changed the subject, giving her a soft smile. "Before I take you to your room, I need to show you something first."

Glancing around the next corner to see if the coast was clear, Finn turned on his heel and steered her down the opposite corridor toward the medical bay. Rey's eyebrows furrowed in confusion when she realized where he was leading her. They soon entered the massive circular room, the area bustling with medical droids noisily scurrying back and forth. Rey noticed the dozen or more beds with clear covers rising like ominous glass coffins throughout the room. Without saying a word, Finn led her to one bed in particular toward the right. Rey peered into the transparent shield in wonder, her breath catching in her throat as she recognized the female figure beneath the glass. Her body was wrapped in a bacta healing suit.

"Rose." The whisper broke free from her lips. She turned to look back at Finn. "What happened?"

"She was hit with blaster fire during the First Order attack on the city about a week ago. The others here were too," Finn solemnly informed her, his brown eyes filling with imminent tears. "She's stable, but not getting any better. She recovered so quickly after the battle on Crait. I'm not sure why it's taking so long this time."

"I'm so sorry, Finn." Rey raised her restrained hands and placed them on top of the see-through barrier that covered Rose's torso, resting her head against the surface between her arms. She peered down at Rose's sweet face through the screen. Rose's chest elevated slightly as she breathed through the apparatus latched over her mouth. "I know she means a lot to you."

"Yes, very much so, and there's more," Finn began, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, and lowered his voice. "She's pregnant. Only myself and the medical droids know."

"Aw, Finn." Rey pivoted back to her dear friend, lifting her arms to invite him into an embrace. He slipped his head in between her restrained arms and hugged her fiercely, sobbing onto her shoulder. A great sadness fell over Rey and her heart broke for her friend as she held him there. "I want to be happy for you, but I know it must be hard with her like this."

Finn ducked back under her arms to release himself after a few minutes, wiping away the moisture from under his eyes. The sight of Finn in pain made Rey's eyes rim with tears as well.

"Rey, I was hoping that… since you have Force powers and everything…" Finn sniffed and pressed his right palm tenderly to Rose's tan-colored hand. "Maybe you could help… maybe you have some sort of healing powers, you know?"

Rey glanced down at her hands and held them up to the light, frowning. Did she possess the power to heal? Did Ben? She had never thought to ask.

"I don't know, Finn," Rey replied with a sigh, lowering her hands. "Luke Skywalker never mentioned it and I haven't read anything in the Jedi texts that would lead me to believe that I do."

"Oh." Finn's hopeful expression fell in a matter of seconds. He loudly cleared his throat. "Well, I think I better get you to your quarters before Poe finds out I brought you here instead."

"Finn, I'm not saying no. I just don't know for certain," Rey said dejectedly. She wondered briefly if Ben would be able to shed some light on the subject. She made a quick mental note to ask him about it later.

"No, it's okay," Finn answered, his voice downtrodden, guiding her out of the medical bay. "It was worth a shot."

Finn was quiet for the remainder of the journey to her quarters. After opening the door to her room, he said, "I'll send a droid back with some food. I know you have to be famished."

"Yes, thank you," Rey replied, glancing around at the barren room with only a small bunkbed and desk crammed into its confines. It was exactly as she'd left it; besides, she didn't need much anyway.

"Sure. Well, see you later." Finn turned to take his leave.

"Finn?" Rey felt a sudden urge to express her affection for her dear friend before he left, to let him know how deeply she still cared for him. He looked back over his shoulder at her.

"I love you."

"Love you too," Finn said without hesitation. He gave her a genuine smile and closed the door behind him.

Once he was gone, Rey sunk down on the bed and held her head in her bound hands. Then, her head shot bolt upright as an epiphany came unexpectedly into her mind. It was in those fleeting moments that Rey decided she would do all that she could to help the injured Resistance fighters recover from their battle wounds. Somehow, she knew that she possessed the ability to heal them, but she didn't know how to awaken that power just yet. This could be the very chance she and Ben needed to fully convince them of their allegiance.

~.~

Rey stayed in her quarters for the rest of the day, hoping desperately that Ben would come to her. She had picked at the synthetic bread and meat on her plate, longing for the fresh taste of fire-cooked fish on Temple Island. Her only comfort was the blue milk from a frosty glass, which soothed and readily quenched her parched throat.

Later that evening, Rey lay awake in the tiny cramped bed, staring up at the gray-paneled ceiling above her, and counted all the screws that held every edge together to pass the time. The weight of the cuffs about her wrists were uncomfortable to say the least, not to mention the fact that they were keeping her from finding an acceptable sleeping position.

"I'm here, sweetheart." The whisper-like sound made her eyes widen.

The Force bond tore open, and she felt the weight of something solid and warm now resting beside her on the bed.

"Ben!" Rey exclaimed in a soft voice, turning over to face him. Her eyes softened when she saw his beautiful face. "You found me."

"I always do," Ben said sweetly, scooting closer to her. "The guards outside my cell just took their leave for the night or I would've come sooner. There's only one guard there now. He's watching me through the surveillance camera, so I can't make any sudden movements."

"No worries. You're here now." Rey wasted no time before she crushed her lips to his, and he responded in vigor, devouring her mouth with his. It had been too long since they had touched.

"Ah, I've missed you," Ben spoke, breaking apart from her lips after several minutes of much-needed bliss. He placed his hands into hers the best he could given the fact that they were both restrained in cuffs. His jaw tightened in anger at the realization that her hands were bound as well. "So they cuffed you for aligning yourself with me? Those bastards. Some friends they turned out to be."

"Ben, I don't have their trust back just yet, but…" she said and shifted her body, so that she could hook her arms over his head. "I do have some news, I guess you could say."

"What? Are they still planning to execute me tomorrow at noon?" Ben made a bitter attempt at a joke, pressing his nose endearingly to hers, and nestled into her embrace. His anger subsided within seconds once he was in her arms. "That Poe Dameron has daggers for me."

"Not yet, I think." Rey smiled, closing her eyes, and pressed her forehead to his. "It's General Dameron now. He's succeeded your mother and rightfully so, he should be angry with you. You did have him tortured once."

"Not one of my proudest moments, no. I think I'll be atoning for the misdeeds of Kylo Ren for the rest of my life," he sorrowfully lamented. "What did you need to tell me?"

Through their bond, Rey revealed to him the events that had occurred over the course of the day: the interrogation by Poe and Finn, Rose's situation, and the idea she had regarding the injured Resistance fighters. She didn't dare mention the fact that they thought he was the one who murdered General Organa, his mother. She wasn't sure how he would react.

Ben sighed against her, pulling away after the moment had passed.

"Do you think it's possible? To heal using our powers?" Rey asked him, her expression hopeful.

"It's possible," Ben told her. "The Jedi have healed through the Force before, and the Sith have as well. I probably would've tried it on myself on Ahch-To if I hadn't been unconscious when I first arrived."

"Do you think it will work on Rose and the others? It may be our only chance to persuade them that you've changed, that we're here to help them defeat Hux and the First Order."

"It's worth a try," Ben agreed, relaxing against her. "We have nothing left to lose at this point."

"I guess, you're right," Rey spoke the final words of the evening between them. A chill ran down her spine. "Nothing, but each other."

As they both began to feel the lull of sleep, she said a silent prayer, hoping that someone, somewhere, would give them the strength and the courage to carry out their plans. Rey secretly hoped their plans wouldn't backfire, ultimately leaving them at the mercy of the Resistance.

Only time would tell.

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading! Let me know what you thought in the comments! We're almost to the end of this fic. I think maybe about 3 more chapters. It's been a wild ride. ~Dazzy xxoo**


	13. Chapter 13: Start the Revolution

**Chapter 13: Start the Revolution**

" _We all make mistakes sometimes._

 _We all fail, but we stand tonight._

 _Look past them and move on._

 _We're all here, you're not the only one."_

 _~Anberlin, "Audrey, Start the Revolution!"_

 _Boom! Boom! Boom!_

The urgent, pounding sound against Rey's door woke her with a start the next morning. Her heart instantly thudded like a runaway train inside her chest. She jumped up from her bunk bed and wiped the sleep away from under her eyes the best she could given that she was still in restraints. She also made a quick observation that Ben was now gone, but she would worry about him later. Heading toward the door, she heard Finn's desperate voice calling from behind it.

"Rey! I need to talk to you please! I have an idea about you-know-what!" He shouted from behind the door, his voice muffled yet distinct.

Rey pushed the button on the side of the door to grant him entry, and before it could even slide one inch, Finn's large body quickly slipped through the opening and grabbed one of her arms. Pressing the button again to shut the door behind him, Finn let go of Rey's arm and showed her a bandage wrapped around his left arm, stained from underneath with blood.

"Finn," she said, her eyes wide with concern. "What have you done to yourself?"

"I used a dagger and cut myself, you know, to see if you could heal it," Finn said in a hushed tone, looking over his shoulder anxiously as if he was afraid someone would overhear their conversation.

"Why would you do such a thing to yourself?" Rey exasperatedly asked and began to unfold the bandage from his arm. Finn loudly hissed at the sting of the bandage being removed, flinching slightly. "You could've very well bled to death."

"Rose" was the only word that rolled off his lips. Finn looked up at her as she stared down at the jagged, angry cut that now branded her friend's forearm.

"I told you, Finn. I'm not sure if I can heal yet." Rey placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. I had to at least try, Rey. I can't let Rose suffer like that anymore, not with the baby on the way. Who knows what will happen to her body down the road?" Finn's eyes started to brim with tears, and Rey couldn't deny him any longer.

"Okay, I'll try," she agreed, biting her lower lip nervously. "But I'm not promising anything."

Taking a deep breath, Rey pulled Finn over toward the bed and motioned for him to sit down. She sat down on the bed beside him and took his injured arm into both of her hands. Closing her eyes, she began to meditate and focused all her attention on the cut on his left arm.

After a few seconds, the Force seeped into her veins, buzzing and humming all around her like a swarm of bees. With the Force channeling through her, Rey concentrated even further on Finn's wound, mentally picturing the necessary cells replicating and binding together to seal his skin. She imagined the blood vessels repairing themselves beneath his flesh, revealing only a solitary scar where the ugly gash had once been.

"Rey," Finn breathlessly spoke, waking her from her reverie. "It worked! Rey, it worked!"

Rey's eyes fluttered open only to see Finn's arm completely healed, a sliver of a scar barely noticeable on top of his skin. The sight of it almost took Rey's breath away. She started in wide-eyed wonder at what she had done. Maybe she was right about her purpose in this universe; she was meant to mend broken things.

Finn pulled her into a joyful hug, squeezing her tighter than anyone had ever embraced her before.

"I knew you could do it!" He said happily. "I knew it would be you, Rey. It's always been you. I knew it from the moment I met you and you rescued me. There was just something about you. I knew you were special."

Rey half-smiled at him, still marveling at the feat she had just accomplished. She had mended her saber through the Force, but she never thought that she would be capable of such wondrous acts as healing. She was completely astonished.

"This is it, Finn," she whispered, her mouth opening slightly to breathe. "This is how I win back the trust of the Poe and the rest of the Resistance. Ben and I can heal the wounded fighters."

"And Rose." Finn stood and helped her to standing position. He hurriedly walked toward the door, clicking the button to open the entrance to her quarters. "I'll take you down to the medical bay right away and… Rey, what's wrong?"

Finn's face fell as Rey sank back down on the bed. She peered up at him, shaking her head. She needed Ben there with her when she went to the medical bay. It was the only way they would succeed with their plans to regain the trust of the Resistance.

"I need Ben released," she demanded. "Before I do anything, I need him released from the detention block. I'm not saying he needs to be taken out of his restraints, but he needs to be there with me when I try to heal the others. I want everyone to see how he's changed, that he wants to be good and do good again."

Finn sighed, looking down at the floor. He raised up his healed arm and ran the fingers of his opposite hand along the scar as if studying every inch, every curve.

"Okay," Finn said, lowering his arm to his side. His eyes then twinkled with mischief. "But we'll have to get past the guards outside his cell. Do you have any Jedi mind tricks up your sleeve?"

"I was hoping you'd say that." Rey grinned from ear to ear, turning up an eyebrow.

~.~

Creeping slowly down the corridor, Finn led Rey toward the prisoner cells where Ben was being held. Since everyone else had retreated to the rotunda for the morning announcements, the corridors through the Resistance base remained eerily silent.

As they rounded the corner toward Ben's cell, Rey noticed two guards standing on either side of the door. One of them she recognized from the day before. They were both holding blasters across their chests, dressed in tan, button-up shirts with Resistance emblems stitched onto the left sleeves.

Rey looked back at Finn. "Lead me down the hallway like you're going to put me in one of the cells, and I'll get them to unlock my cuffs and release Ben."

"I'll knock them unconscious afterward," Finn said, nodding in response.

"Yes," she replied, smiling hopefully. "Let's go."

Rey stepped out into the hallway, holding her restrained arms in front of her body. Finn followed closely behind her, guiding her with his right hand lightly pressed to her back. Nearing the guards, Finn nodded as if to acknowledge the two men positioned outside Ben's cell. Rey kept her head down as she walked, feeling her heart thumping wildly in her chest. She'd never attempted a rescue mission like this before. She only hoped it wouldn't end badly with any one of them hurt, including Ben and the guards.

"Captain Finn, I didn't know the girl was being placed in the detention block today," one of the guards, the one Rey recognized from yesterday in the rotunda, called to them just as they reached Ben's cell.

"General Poe ordered me to bring her down here this morning," Finn replied, his eyes darting toward Rey, who had now lifted her head to gauge the guard's reaction. "She tried to free herself from her restraints and damaged them. Would you mind taking a look? I'm not sure how to work these things."

Pointing his blaster at Rey, the guard stalked toward them, his blue eyes full of suspicion. His eyes ran back and forth between her and Finn and then glanced down at her restraints. He lifted her cuffs with his free hand and began to examine them.

"You want to remove these cuffs," Rey said in a calm voice, focusing all her attention on his piercing blue eyes. The man peered up from her hands and gave her an inquisitive look as if he was confused by what she'd said.

"I want to remove your cuffs," he then exclaimed merrily, pressing the buttons along the top of her cuffs in a patterned sequence. They immediately flew open and fell to the floor of the corridor below, the metal clanking in an echo off the walls.

"Hey, Jano, what do you think you're doing?" The second guard questioned in bewilderment, aiming his blaster at Rey.

"You want to release Kylo Ren from his cell," Rey continued her mind trick on the first guard. "He's innocent and exonerated of his crimes against the Resistance."

Jano's face formed a dopey grin and turned toward Ben's cell on command. He hovered his hand over the keypad and punched in the necessary code to unlock the door.

"I want to release Kylo Ren from his cell. He's innocent and exonerated of his crimes against the Resistance," he repeated Rey's words in a monotone voice as the door flew open.

"Jano, have you gone completely mad? He's the Supreme Leader of the First Order! A murderer!" The second guard grabbed ahold of Jano's arm and tried to stop him to no avail.

"Sorry about this guys," Rey said, pinching the features of her face together.

Realizing there was no time left to lose, Rey threw up her now free hands and used the Force to render the two men unconscious. They both slumped to the floor in a matter of seconds, one of the guards' blasters sending sparks ricocheting off the metal walls.

Rey and Finn hit the ground, covering their heads with their hands to shield them from the blaster fire. As the sound of the shots subsided, Rey looked around to see if the coast was clear before coming onto her feet.

"I think someone might have heard that," Finn observed. He quickly helped her stand and checked to make sure she was unscathed. "Let's grab him and get out of here!"

Rey hurriedly ran back to Ben's cell, only to see his beautiful face emerge from beyond the threshold.

"Rey?" Ben stepped out into the hallway, his hands still cuffed in restraints. He eyed the guards' unconscious bodies on the floor in amazement. Then, he looked up at Rey with desire burning in his brown eyes. "That was so sexy."

"Thanks." Rey blushed, giving Finn a quick glance. Finn exaggeratedly rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed.

Rey ran over to Ben and threw her arms around him, planting a swift kiss to his cheek.

"We don't have much time to talk. We have to get to the medical bay," Rey told him, sending him the entire story of how she'd healed Finn's injured arm through their bond, as she released him and looked into his brown eyes. She reached down and pressed the buttons on his restraints in the same pattern as the guard had on hers. The cuffs snapped open, and Ben tossed them carelessly to the floor.

Ben rubbed one of his wrists with his opposite hand and nodded, knowing every detail of their plan. Rey and Ben grabbed the blasters from the guards, and Finn led them down the corridor toward the medical bay.

~.~

"Captain Finn, I'm sorry to inform you, but there has been no change in Lieutenant Tico's condition today," the droid 32-D3 said as Finn, Rey, and Ben entered the medical bay at a hurried pace. "I'm sorry, but visitors have to be authorized…"

The trio passed right by the feminine droid at the entrance, not even glancing in her direction, and made a beeline to Rose's hospital bed. The droid rolled herself behind them trying to get their attention to no avail. They were determined to heal the patients as quickly as possible to prove that they were worthy of the Resistance's trust.

"Okay, Rey," Finn said as they reached Rose's position on the right side of the medical bay. "Let's see if this works."

Rey looked at Ben, who gave her a nod in reassurance, as she took Rose's hands into hers. She focused all of her thoughts on Rose's injuries, imagining all the tissues and vital organs repairing themselves within her frail body. Her thoughts became so transfixed that she forgot where she was and entered almost a trance-like state, her eyelids fluttering uncontrollably.

Lost deep within the chambers of her mind, Rey could clearly see Luke Skywalker, her first teacher in the ways of the Force, and Leia Organa, the deceased General of the Resistance, standing in front of her. The two siblings took each other's hands and then smiled at Rey, pride beaming from their presence like a beacon from where they stood. Then, she could hear a distant voice. _That_ voice, the one she'd heard before on Takodana the moment she touched Luke's blue saber.

" _I'll come back, sweetheart. I promise."_

Rey felt a sudden falling sensation, and she reached out both hands, trying to find purchase on something, anything to keep her from tumbling down into nothingness. Then, blackness surrounded her on all sides like a dark, night sky with no moonlight to guide her way.

"Rey, can you hear me?" She heard the voice calling to her again, but it seemed closer as if she could reach out and grasp it with her hands. "Rey!"

Her eyes flitted open and the image of Ben's beautiful face came into sharp view. Rey sat up, realizing she was now laying on the floor of the medical bay. Ben's arms were draped around her; his brown eyes were full of concern.

"You fainted, sweetheart. Are you okay?" Ben asked, kissing her gently on the forehead.

Rey immediately jumped to her feet, remembering why she'd been there in the first place. "Did it w-?"

A smile crept across Rey's face as she observed Finn and Rose embracing on top of the medical bed. They gazed longingly at each other, obviously deep in love. The fleeting image of her porg friends on Ahch-To flew into her mind. Rey's soul filled with endless joy at what her Force powers were able to accomplish for her dear friend. Her actions had healed and revived Rose from her comatose state.

Ben came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Rey instantly turned around and threw her arms around Ben in sheer happiness, her eyes staining with tears.

"You did it, my little scavenger," he whispered against her ear, planting a sweet kiss to her cheek. "You were amazing. I never doubted you for one second."

"Thank you, Rey," Finn called to her.

Rey released Ben and rushed over to the couple, who both hugged her simultaneously in gratitude.

"Oh, wow, Rey, I knew you were amazing the first time I met you. Just wow," Rose said excitedly as she squeezed Rey tightly. "Uh, Finn, Rey, what's _he_ doing here? I know I was out for a few days, but please tell me I'm not going crazy."

"Well, it's kind of a long story." Rey smiled, chuckling slightly at Rose's comments regarding Ben, as she pulled back from their hug. "I'm glad you're okay and congratulations by the way."

"You told her, Finn?" Rose shot a glaring look at Finn, who held up his hands in surrender. "I thought we both agreed we would wait to tell everyone."

"I-I-," Finn said, trying desperately to find the words to defend himself, but he was interrupted by a thundering sound of boots as a massive crowd stormed into the medical bay.

"Just what the HELL is going on here, Finn? I got word that you attacked Ren's guards and helped him escape!" Poe Dameron angrily stalked over to their position, a dozen or more Resistance fighters in tow. He promptly pulled his blaster from the holster on his belt. His grimace fell when he realized what had happened. "Rose? You're awake?"

"Just let me explain, Poe," Finn said, holding up his hands, as Rey helped Rose, who was still dressed in the bulky bacta suit, to a standing position.

Rey could feel Ben's body tense through their connection and hoped he wouldn't make any sudden actions that would get them all killed.

"This better be good, Finn, or I'll have to put you all in the detention block." Poe pointed the blaster at all of them.

"Okay." Finn cleared his throat, stepping out from behind Rose's hospital bed. Sweat started to bead on his forehead as his brown eyes darted back and forth across the crowd of onlookers. "Well, I had this idea that maybe since Rey has Force powers, that maybe she had healing powers too, so I cut myself to see if she could heal it and she could. Then, I helped her bust out, uh, Ben here, and we decided to see if she could heal Rose."

"Amazing" and "it's a miracle" resounded from the group of fighters as they all looked at each other with astonished looks.

"It's true, General Dameron," the droid 32-D3 confirmed, wheeling herself over to the leader of the Resistance. Her spindly mechanical arms gestured toward Rey. "I saw it with my own eyes. Miss Rey healed Lieutenant Tico."

For once in his life, Poe was speechless as he stared at the newly-reunited couple.

"Miss Rey." One of the female Resistance members placed herself in front of Poe. She fell at Rey's feet with tears staining her blue eyes. "My name's Aurora Noir. Would you heal my brother? He's been unconscious for several days. Please, I'm begging you. Please!"

"Of course, I will," Rey said comfortingly, kneeling down to help the auburn-haired woman to her feet. "Show me where he is, Aurora."

A firm hand grabbed ahold of Rey's shoulder as she started to follow the woman to her brother's bed.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Poe questioned her in heated tone and gripped her arm tighter.

"I'm going to heal the others," Rey replied defiantly, motioning to Ben behind her. "It's the right thing to do, Poe, and Ben's going to try as well. We want to help you all. That's what we came back for."

Poe peered back at the crowd, and they all seemed to agree with Rey's stance on the situation. He also couldn't deny the fact that Rey had already healed Rose; he couldn't let the others suffer without at least giving Rey and Ben a chance to prove themselves.

Poe let go of her arm and, without saying a word, nodded for her to continue with her plan. Stepping aside, he begrudgingly allowed Ben to follow her to the opposite side of the medical bay as well.

Rey breathed a huge sigh of relief as she joined Ben in healing the other patients who had been severely injured in the First Order attack. It was the moment they'd been waiting for.

~.~

The entire base was buzzing with the news that the two visitors had healed every single last one of the injured fighters. Under General Dameron's ruling, Rey and Ben were to be escorted by armed guards throughout the remainder of their stay just to ensure there was no insurgence on their part. Finn was also under watchful eyes due to his role in helping Rey bust Ben out of his cell. Ben was still assigned to his cell in the detention block, but would have to be under "maximum security," whatever that meant, when he retired at night. However, Ben and Rey's weapons were still in the Resistance's possession until a proper meeting was held to grant them permission to be armed. Poe should've known better given how powerful they were in the Force; Rey had rendered the guards unconscious with only a slight manipulation of her powers mere minutes before.

"We'll be forever indebted to you for healing our wounded," Commander Larma D'Acy thanked Rey and Ben, shaking their hands respectively outside the medical bay.

She retrieved a small purple box from a servant droid beside her and presented it to Ben. Ben looked up from the ornate box in his hands at the commander in confusion.

"It's a box with your mother's personal effects," she replied, giving him a soft smile. "I thought you might like to have it given you're the next of kin."

"Thank you, commander," Ben said, his hand running over the detailed pattern of flowers on the lid of the box. Feeling his pain begin to seep through his veins, Rey placed her hand on his atop the box to comfort him.

"And there's more," Commander D'Acy continued. "If you'd like, you may visit her. She's resting peacefully in the morgue with the rest of the fallen."

"Oh." Ben loudly gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He peered over at Rey, who nodded reassuringly. "Yes, thank you."

"I'd be happy to take you there now if it pleases you," she said, turning to walk down the corridor on her right. "Right this way."

Grabbing ahold of his free hand, Rey followed the commander with Ben down the pathway to the morgue. A nervous knot rolled over in Rey's stomach at the thought of seeing Leia's lifeless body. It wasn't something she wasn't all too keen on seeing after healing so many helpless ones in the medical bay. She felt a rush of anxiety pour through her, knowing that this would probably be the hardest experience Ben would ever face. She just hoped it wouldn't send him hurtling back over the edge toward the Dark Side of the Force.

Commander D'Acy pressed her palm over the scanner outside the door to the mortuary, granting them entrance, and stood aside to allow them passage into the large room.

"Take as much time as you need," she assured them. "I'll send someone to stand guard outside per General Dameron's orders."

"Thank you," Rey replied, entering the room behind Ben.

The morgue was rather chilly and rightfully so. The massive rectangular room was littered with dozens of coffins, most of them appeared to be handmade. One coffin in particular stood out to Rey due to its dark lavender color and the myriad of letters and trinkets lovingly placed around it. Rey marveled at the numerous gifts that had been positioned around the casket and squeezed Ben's hand when she realized it belonged to his mother.

"I know," Ben whispered, the words catching in his throat. "Come with me."

Sauntering slowly over to his mother's coffin still holding onto his hand, Rey peered into the transparent shield that adorned the top. Inside, Rey beheld the peaceful visage of his mother, the woman she had considered a surrogate mother herself. It broke her heart to know that her life was cut so short and just before her son had come back to the Light.

"Mother," Ben cried, kneeling on the raised platform that rimmed the casket. "I'm so sorry."

Wanting desperately to comfort him, Rey knew he needed some time to mourn her. She stood beside him and held her head down as his body rocked with quaking sobs. Her eyes glanced at each of the thoughtful gifts at the base of the coffin and tried to read each sweet note through her blinding tears to no avail. It was a welcomed distraction to the agony that would have made her knees buckle from under her if she hadn't.

"I wasn't there to protect her, Rey," Ben lamented as another wave of sadness streamed through his body.

"It wasn't your fault." She knelt down beside him, placing a soothing hand on his shoulder and rubbing it gently. "Hux did a terrible thing. You shouldn't feel guilty about it."

"I never got to tell her I loved her, you know, before she died." He sobbed into his hands that were now fixed on top of the coffin. "I was never the son she needed me to be."

"That's all in the past now, Ben," Rey said comfortingly. "She knew you loved her. Wherever she is, she is so proud of you for returning to the Light. It's all she ever wanted for you and look at what you've done today - healing those fighters. You've made her very happy, Ben."

Ben remained silent for several lingering moments, continuing to mourn his mother. Rey looked up and noticed the small inscription on the side of the casket: General Leia Amidala Skywalker Organa-Solo along with her birth and death dates. Under the fallen general's name was carved the phrase: "a princess to us all." Rey noted how Leia truly was a princess in every meaning of the word.

"Rey?" Ben called to her, waking her from her thoughts. He wiped away his tears and handed her the box containing his mother's personal possessions. "I want you to have her things. I think she would have wanted you to have them. I know she cared for you very much."

"Ben, I couldn't possibly," she said, pushing the box back toward him. "They're yours now. You don't have to give me everything your parents left you."

Ben laughed at her last words and sniffed away the lingering tears, taking back the box. Her heart sang with the sight of his smile amongst such a sorrowful setting. Rey watched as he unfastened the lid and opened the box to see what was inside.

"Oh, Rey," Ben said, pulling out a rather enormous golden ring with an oval-shaped stone in the middle. "It's my mother's engagement ring."

"It's beautiful." Rey gazed longingly at the piece of jewelry and then smiled up at Ben. "Your dad had good taste."

"I'm glad you think so." Chuckling, Ben retrieved a silvery chain necklace from the box and strung the ring through it. Closing the clasp, he presented the finished creation to Rey.

"Rey, I want you to take this ring as a promise, a promise from me," Ben began, holding it out to her, the ring dangling from the chain. "A promise that when this war is all over, I will bind myself to you forever."

"I don't know what to say," Rey said as she took the gift from him. Her mind raced with thoughts of marrying him and starting a family with him one day.

"Say yes, please," Ben pleaded with her. "You're all I've ever wanted and I love you with every fiber of my being."

Rey peered at him in utter shock, imminent tears threatening to run her eyes dry. The moment seemed right, and she knew he was all she ever wanted as well.

"Yes," she whispered in response. "I love you, Ben, with all my heart and soul."

Ben immediately embraced her, his lips finding hers in an endless fervor. The promise had been made and she had accepted; Ben would now be hers forever.

~.~

Later that evening, after celebrating the reunion of the healed members with the rest of the Resistance, Rey snuck away from the crowd and headed toward her quarters, the necklace with his mother's ring dangling from her neck. Ben had agreed to come to her again through their bond as he had already been taken back to his cell for the night. They hadn't been alone together intimately in two days, and just having pledged their promises to each other, the couple so desperately longed to be connected again.

As she safely entered her quarters, it only took mere seconds for Ben to press her up against the closed door. He had been waiting for her.

"Ah, I thought you'd never come." He stared down at her with a fire in his eyes, his body within millimeters of hers.

"I hope it was worth the wait," Rey said, tugging the collar of his tunic to pull him toward her.

Ben's scent was almost like a drug to Rey as she tried to breathe in the necessary air around them. Heat began to inflame within her body, and she began to feel an overpowering desire for the man who had basically proposed to her only hours before. The primal desire was so intense she was unable to think straight.

"Yes." Ben's lips began to place feather-like kisses along her collarbone, making it even harder for her to think. "I'd wait an eternity for you, my little scavenger."

Rey instinctively ran her fingers underneath his tunic and outlined his taut pectoral muscles, eliciting a loud moan from the man in front of her. Ben looked down at her, passion blazing in his brown eyes and crushed his lips to hers. His tongue lustfully entered her mouth, and his taste was more than she could take.

Rey broke free from his lips, moving down to his neck. She licked and suckled the rough skin beneath his jaw line. A feral growl erupted from Ben's mouth at her ministrations. He then fingered the hem of her tunic and forced it over her head as if he desperately needed to feel her skin against his again.

Tossing her clothes onto the floor, Ben placed his palms to her breasts, and Rey began to moan as he caressed them gently and ran his tongue over her nipples. She grabbed his left hand and guided it down between her legs, and he promptly rubbed his palm against her mound, feeling her body writhe in ultimate pleasure.

Forcibly, Ben then swept her into his brawny arms and threw her on top of the bunk bed. Before he can even blink, she rid him of his tunic and trousers in one swift movement. Climbing on top of her, he smirked down at her as his eyes fell upon the promise ring resting in the valley between her breasts and then drunk up her lips once again.

Rey effortlessly rolled him over, mounting him and slowly joining their bodies together. Her eyes immediately rolled into the back of her head. She had never felt so inebriated in her entire life. He felt so perfect and so utterly unbelievable as if this was their first time. Rey began to hastily rock back and forth on top of him, the passion that grew deep inside her boiling over.

Ben then lifted her up and slammed her back down on the bed. It instantly buckled under the force of his movement, slumping down on three legs. The couple paid no attention. He forcefully thrust himself back into her, hearing her cries of ecstasy pierce the stillness of the room. She soared toward her orgasm in only a matter of seconds.

"Ben, oh, yes. YES!" Her screams intensified as she came all around him. Ben continued to pump in and out of her as she came down from her peak. Then, she commanded, "it's my turn again."

Rolling them over, Rey pushed him down on the bed once more. She straddled him, burying his cock deep inside her again. She didn't know how much more Ben could take before he exploded inside her. She could feel his imminent release building through their connection, but she tried not to think about it at the moment. She savored the sensation between her legs as her hips moved up and down against him. Her hands gripped the metal bars at the head of the bed to steady herself, and it bent slightly with the force of her movements.

"Oops!" Rey cackled, smirking, and then began to ride him even harder. "Oh, fuck, this feels so good."

Unable to take the tension any longer, Ben stood, her legs wrapped around his waist, and pressed her against the wall. The metal wall bent into the shape of her body as he pounded into her, gradually feeling their peaks building simultaneously.

"Fuck me, Ben. Fuck me!" Rey lustfully sucked his earlobe, sending him completely over the edge.

Pulling her off the wall, Ben crushed her body beneath him on the cold, metal floor. He thrust with all his might, the height of his orgasm overtaking his body. She followed him in release soon after.

"Rey," Ben whispered as he slumped against her, completely spent. He breathed into her neck, trying to recover from the hurried lovemaking session. "I -"

"I know." Rey endearingly wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. Their bodies were both soaked in rivulets of sweat. "I love you too."

 _Boom! Boom! Boom!_

The powerful thudding sound roused Ben and Rey from their moment of post-cotial bliss. They promptly panicked knowing they'd been caught using their Force bond to meet.

"Rey, come quick! We've got visitors!" Finn's voice sounded excited from behind the door. "Old members of the Rebellion!"

"What?" Rey shot Ben a confused look. She pried his body off hers and hurriedly dressed. "Who do you think it is?"

"Not sure," Ben said, standing, and began to dress himself still in the room. He hadn't broken their bond just yet, wanting to stay with her as long as possible. Then, his jaw dropped as if he'd sensed something strange.

"It couldn't be."

Their connection abruptly faded as well as Ben's presence in her quarters. Realizing he was gone, Rey urgently finished dressing and headed out from her room. From the way things had ended with Ben, she knew something must be terribly wrong.

As she entered the hallway outside her quarters, several Resistance fighters rushed past her in earnest as if their lives depended on it. Rey quickened her steps, hoping Ben would meet up with her in the rotunda. She also hoped no one had seen or heard what they'd just done.

As Rey reached the round room at the center of the base, she saw a man she didn't recognize standing in the center. He was much older with salt and pepper hair wearing a flashy, silky outfit of yellow and blue. About his shoulders hung a long, flowing cape that coordinated impeccably with his attire. The aged man shook hands with Poe and then pulled him in for a hug, patting him hard on the back.

"It's good to see you, general!" The man heartily exclaimed. "The title suits you well, man, even though it's not the best of circumstances. You know, I was a general once myself. The finest in all the galaxy."

The charismatic man then glanced around the room at the crowd that had gathered, his eyes landing intently on Rey.

"Well, this must be Rey," he deduced and strolled over to greet her. "I've heard so much about you. Lando Calrissian at your service. She's stunning, Poe. Stun-ning."

Rey blushed, giving him a slight smile, as she shook his hand. Lando bent over and chivalrously kissed her hand. Ben had been right; Lando was very charismatic indeed. She was instantly smitten with his charm.

"I heard my nephew was here. Well, he's not technically my nephew, but… well, I'll be damned." Lando's voice became silent as his gaze trailed behind Rey.

Rey turned only to see Ben emerge from the shadows of the corridor. He didn't acknowledge her, brushing past her and the other fighters as if he was under a spell. He stared straight ahead at his uncle.

"Why if it isn't Ben Solo, my little starfighter, all grown up!" Lando exclaimed, laughing. He offered Ben an extended hand. "Where's your mask and that silly little red sword?"

Ben said nothing in response, not even moving a muscle, his lips pressed in a tight line.

"Okay, okay." Lando held up his hands in surrender. "Just don't chokehold me please! I was just joking, little starfighter. I didn't mean any harm."

"What brings you here, Lando?" Poe asked, clearing his throat to cut the tension in the room.

Ben's shoulders relaxed, but Rey could still sense his uneasiness.

"I have word that the First Order is planning an attack on the moon of Endor." Lando turned his attention to the matter at hand. "General Hux - excuse me, Supreme Leader Hux - thinks history is worth repeating. Those poor little Ewoks have seen enough war, but they're fierce warriors. I figured you guys would be up for a fight."

"We would, especially if it would be a chance to finally snuff out the First Order," Poe agreed.

"Woo hoo! I knew I could count on you, Poe. I brought along a few friends of mine that might be of help." Lando motioned for one of his friends to come forward.

A small humanoid creature emerged from behind him, seemingly female and covered in brown fur similar to a Wookiee, but much shorter.

"This is my old friend, Peekpa. She's from Endor. A master hacker. I think she'll be an excellent asset, plus she knows the terrain."

The Ewok smiled at the crowd and gave Chewbacca a shy wave as if she knew him. He let out a growl in Shyriiwook in reply to greet her. Rey thought she was precious and no doubt extremely intelligent.

"And the best asset, of course, for navigating the forests of Endor, give it up for my man, Han Solo," Lando pronounced his first name with the short "a" sound, which seemed rather odd to Rey.

Then, it hit her like a ton of bricks. She watched in shock as the familiar figure in his brown, leather jacket strolled nonchalantly into the rotunda. A hushed silence fell upon the crowd. Her eyes flew to Ben, whose skin had turned to pale white like he'd just seen a ghost. In a way, he had.

"Hey, kid," Han Solo said to his son, pausing at a safe distance in front of him.

Ben's body swayed forward slightly as if teetering along a precipice before he fell headfirst to the floor below.

 **A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Rey now has jewelry from Ben and how in the heck is Han Solo still alive? Let me know your thoughts. Only 2 chapters left! The battle for Endor is next - yes, I love the Ewoks! Don't hate now. ~Dazzy xxoo**


	14. Chapter 14: The Art of War

**Chapter 14: The Art of War**

" _You want to watch us break?  
Be the first to take us down?  
But your teeth are worn,  
And there's no stopping us now."_

 _~Anberlin, "The Resistance"_

"Ben, can you hear me?" Rey tried to wake him, gently slapping his cheeks.

Ben had fainted after seeing his once-deceased father, Han Solo, who evidently had been raised from the dead and was still alive. Afterward, Poe had sent everyone back to their stations and quarters to grant the three of them privacy, but left two guards just outside the rotunda.

"Come on, Ben. Wake up!"

Ben moved his head back and forth, drawing in a sharp breath, and then his body rose from the floor of the rotunda. He opened his eyes, looking straight forward at his father standing right in front of him.

"How are you still alive?" Ben angrilly questioned his father, coming onto his feet. Rey steadied him as he stood to make sure he didn't fall again. "I killed you. There's no coming back from that!"

"Well, it's a long story," Han Solo began the explanation, seeming rather unconcerned that everyone in the meeting room, including his only son, had been stunned by his appearance. "But if you must know, before we landed on Starkiller Base, I called up Lando. I told him my whole plan about confronting you, and if it ended badly, which it did, he would be there to help me. He snuck into the base and caught me in some sort of net contraption. Rey, Finn, and Chewie were so concerned with you that Lando was able to whisk me away unnoticed."

Ben nervously licked his lips, breathing heavily, and then looked down at the floor.

"But that still doesn't explain how you're still alive," Rey noted, locking one of her arms into Ben's. "Did someone heal you?"

"Bacta, my dear." Han laughed and closed the space between he and his son. "Lots and lots of bacta. Very expensive bacta, I must add."

"Why now?" Ben didn't deflect his eyes from the floor as he spoke. A single tear escaped his right eye and ran down his cheek. "Why didn't you come back sooner?"

"I had to make sure you came back to the Light first," Han responded, placing a hand on Ben's left shoulder. Ben's eyes trailed down to his father's hand almost as if he was astonished the man had even touched him. Amazingly to Rey, Ben let the hand rest there without objection. "It was part of my plan to help you realize that there was still Light inside of you. Your mother never gave up hope, and now I see that she was right. It looks good on you, kid."

Han endearingly patted his son's shoulder. Ben's eyes lifted to look at his father. His ragefully gritted his teeth.

"Why didn't you come back when my mother needed you?" Ben vehemently spat out between clenched teeth. "She needed you and you weren't there to save her!"

"I didn't know about the attack until it was over, son," Han replied, sighing, and rested his hands on his hips. "I wished I could've been here. Hell, I would've killed that bastard Hux myself, but I was still recovering from my wounds. It takes a lot out of one's self coming back from the dead. You have to learn how to do everything again. It was much easier coming out of the carbonite than this."

Han's attempt at a joke fell on deaf ears. Rey didn't have any clue what he was talking about, but sensed that Ben understood perfectly well.

Ben's body began to shake violently at his father's words, his knees almost buckling under the weight of his sadness and regret. Rey could feel his emotions coursing through his body as she held onto his arm. She laid her head on his shoulder, kissing it lightly, and his body stilled within seconds

"I'm sorry, father," Ben whispered calmly. "I'm sorry that I couldn't be the son you wanted me to be. I'm sorry for everything."

"No, no, no." Han repositioned his hand on Ben's shoulder, looking him straight in the eyes. Rey let go of Ben to allow his father to comfort him and took a few steps back to give them space. They needed this moment to make amends. "It was all my fault, son. I pushed you away. I sent you away. It is _I_ that should be sorry, not you."

"I did so many horrible things to you, to mother," Ben lamented, tears running over his lips as he spoke.

"You couldn't help it, Ben," Han assured him. "Your mother and I just didn't understand. We feared you would be like your grandfather someday, so we did what we thought was best, letting you train with Luke. We shouldn't have ever let you go, but we can't change the past. We just have to move forward."

Ben nodded as Han lightly patted his shoulder one last time before turning to Rey.

"It's good to see you again, Rey," Han greeted her, glancing down at her necklace. "That ring, it looks rather familiar."

He winked at Rey, giving her a knowing look. She ran her hand down the silver chain and gripped the ring between her thumb and forefinger, smiling.

"I'm happy for you two," Han said, placing each of his hands on both of their shoulders. "You guys better give me grandkids soon or I will have come back all for nothing."

Han Solo made an exit in his usual fashion with a witty phrase and left them alone in the rotunda. When he was completely out of sight, Rey rushed over to Ben, who soon collapsed against her and openly wept in her arms.

~.~

Several weeks had passed after that night before the Resistance headed out to the Forest Moon of Endor to face the First Order. General Poe Dameron felt that the attack on the Ewoks was a cowardly attempt to reconstruct the past and hit the Resistance where they knew it would hurt them most - the practical birthplace of the New Republic. With the remaining members of the Resistance dead and gone, the Galactic Empire could be reestablished and the First Order would reign supreme throughout the entire galaxy. Poe was determined to not let that happen.

"We are the spark that'll light the fire that'll bring the First Order down," Poe remarked to the gathering of fighters the morning before they headed out to Endor. "I've believed that for quite some time now."

Every single last Resistance fighter, nearly five hundred of them, stood outside in the crumbling streets of Canto Bight. They were all ready for battle, ground troops as well as air squadrons. Ben and Rey stood near the front of the crowd along with Finn, Rose, Chewbacca, and Han Solo as Poe gave his last speech before the battle.

"The late Vice Admiral Holdo once told us that we would ignite the fire in every corner of the galaxy and others would rush to our side to aid us in the fight," Poe continued, smiling. "And they have. We left the battle on Crait with only a dozen or so members and now we are five hundred strong."

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause at Poe's words. A pool of uneasiness settled in Rey's stomach, and Ben grabbed her hand to help ease her tension. He smiled down at her, assuring her that everything was going to be alright.

"We are headed out today to the moon of Endor, a beautiful world full of forests, mountains, and savannas, to aid the race of Ewoks from annihilation at the hands of the First Order. We couldn't do much here in Canto Bight because the residents weren't ready for such a brutal attack. However, the Ewoks are a strong, fierce species of warriors, about thirty million strong. They have seen war before. My parents fought beside them in the first Battle of Endor, and now I feel rather honored to fight beside the Ewoks now just as they once did."

Poe shot a look at this father, Sergeant Kes Dameron of the Rebellion, who had ventured all the way from his planet, Yavin 4, to join the fight alongside his son. His father tapped Poe lightly on the shoulder.

"And we will bring the First Order down! Let's do this! This ends now!"

"YEAH!" The roaring cries of the Resistance echoed through the streets of Canto Bight. Every one of the fighters began to disassemble and scatter toward their appropriate stations in preparation for the journey to Endor.

Rey, Ben, Chewbacca, Finn, and Rose headed toward the _Millennium Falcon_ along with Han Solo and their droid companions: BB-8, R2-D2, and C-3PO. Once inside, father and son heatedly bickered over who would sit in the captain's chair as they entered the cockpit, only to be roused by the sound of the engines when Rey, tired of their theatrics, declared herself captain instead.

"What?" She asked, rolling her hazel eyes, when they both gave her stunned looks. "If you two are done having your pissing contest, I think we should head out now. So, which one of you will kindly act as my co-pilot?"

"I will!" Chewbacca brushed both men aside as he flew into the cockpit, growling in Shyriiwook. He planted his behemoth of a body in the co-pilot's chair beside her.

"Thank you, Chewie," Rey sarcastically said, smirking at Ben and Han. "At least someone acts like a decent _man_ around here."

"I always liked her," Han whispered to Ben. "Reminds me of someone I once knew."

"Oh, yeah?" Ben's smile crooked to one side. "I wonder who that could be."

Han heartily laughed, slapping his son on the back, as Rey flipped the necessary levers to send the _Falcon_ hurtling into hyperspace.

~.~

After landing on the moon of Endor, Rey peered out the windows of the cockpit in wonder at the sight before her. The moon, a planet in its own right, was covered in towering trees as far as the eye could see. As the _Falcon_ had descended toward the surface, she had noticed several breathtaking mountain chains and numerous rolling grasslands. She marveled at the beauty of the world beneath her.

 _So much green_ , Rey thought as she exited the freighter with her friends and fellow fighters in tow. She held Ben's hand when they stepped onto the green grass of the forest floor to greet the gathering Ewoks.

Looking up toward the trees, Rey observed countless small huts nestled among them with a network of bridges made of wooden planks and rope linking them all together. It was all very quaint, yet it reminded Rey of her time with Ben on Ahch-To.

The chief of the Ewok tribe, a female named Kneesaa with immaculate stark-white fur, met the Resistance fighters as they all disembarked their respective ships. Kes Dameron, Poe's father, ran toward the chief and embraced her, and Rey realized that they must have fought alongside each other in the first Battle of Endor.

"Greetings, Resistance," she called to them after releasing Kes, speaking in Ewokese. "I'm Kneesaa, chief of the Bright Tree Village tribe."

C-3PO acted as translator, communicating her words in Basic, the common tongue spoken by a majority of the fighters.

"We are so delighted to have you here on Endor. We have word that the First Order plans to attack tomorrow afternoon, so we don't have much time to prepare. However, we have fought off invaders once before and we will gladly do it again to defend our way of life and our freedom. We thank you for your assistance in this endeavor."

Chief Kneesaa respectfully bowed in front of them, and Rey and the others returned her gesture.

"We have prepared food and lodging for you tonight." The chief signaled several other Ewoks who responsively emerged from the crowd of natives behind her. "Let us show you a little Endorian hospitality. However, we do offer a few words of caution, though. Beware the Gorax that dwell in the mountains."

"What the hell are the Gorax?" Rey heard Finn mumble under his breath beside her. His arms immediately encircled Rose in a vice grip.

"Believe me," Han Solo said, sighing, his lips pursing together. He pushed past them to greet the chief. "You don't want to know."

A medium-sized Ewok plopped himself in front of Rey and Ben, startling them, and then motioned for them to follow him. The furry brown creature led them up into the trees across the twisting rickety bridges, which Rey found rather unnerving, to a small hut. He happily presented it to them with an outstretched hand. He bowed, allowing them entrance, and then promptly went on his way.

"Well, I guess this is ours for the remainder of our stay," Ben said with a huff, glancing around the cramped space inside of the hut. Two tiny beds were positioned on opposite walls and a wash basin rested on a nightstand by the door. "It looked bigger on the outside."

"It's wonderful," Rey exclaimed and pulled Ben by the collar of his black tunic into her arms. "And now, I have you all to myself."

"Hmm…" Ben murmured, his eyes gazing down at her lips just begging to be worshipped. "What ever shall we do?"

Smiling, Rey captured his lips with hers before using the Force to slide the two small beds together with a flick of her wrist.

~.~

Later that same evening, the members of the Resistance and the Ewoks from Bright Tree Village gathered around one of the many sanctuary trees that dotted the quaint settlement.

Rey still couldn't fathom how beautiful and majestic the trees on Endor were. She stared up at the one in front of her, noting how the chocolate-colored branches were naturally woven together into such an intricate pattern. The knotwork was so precisely constructed that Rey thought momentarily if it was entirely organic or if the tree itself had some sort of intelligence over how it grew. Everything about the Endorian moon was magical, and knowing that Leia and Luke had been there in the past made it even more special to Rey. If was as if they were there with her in spirit, guiding her every step of her journey.

"We will prepare for the attack at dawn tomorrow morning. Chief Kneesaa will be in charge of ground troops along with Commander D'Acy from the Resistance," General Poe Dameron presented his plan to the throng of fighters with Lando Calrissian by his side. "Myself along with General Calrissian here will be in charge of the X-wing squadron as well as the other starships in the sky. Peekpa, our master hacker from Endor, will be working here on the ground to disable the First Order shields as well as jamming the stormtroopers' blaster rifles. We hope once their shields and weapons are disabled, it won't take much for us to bring them down."

A round of excited applause swept across the forest floor around the sanctuary tree. Rey glanced at the faces of the fighters around her. Some looked terrified, some looked hopeful. Rey wasn't sure which one she was, maybe a mixture of both.

As Poe signaled for the music and merriment to commence, Rey slipped out of the gathering and walked several yards into the cover of the forest. Taking a deep breath, she sighed and relaxed her body against the trunk of another sanctuary tree, which seemed even more ornate in the way its branches were twisted together than the last one. Her nerves were a jumble of uneasiness and anticipation; tomorrow would decide her fate as well as the fate of all the Resistance fighters and Ewoks.

"There you are, sweetheart," Ben called to her as he rounded the tree. "Why did you leave the party? I was worried when I didn't see you."

"I just needed some time alone," Rey said, looking off into the forest. She then peered back at his face, reaching out her hand. "But I don't mind you being here."

Smiling, Ben stalked closer to her as Rey pulled him flush against her body. Her arms encircled around his neck and forced his head down to meet her lips.

"Tomorrow…" Rey began as she let go of his lips, but her anxiety didn't allow her to finish the sentence. She rested her head against his chest.

"I know," Ben said, knowing all too well how the weight of the battle before them was affecting Rey's emotions. "It's weighing heavily on me too."

"I need you," she whispered, looking up longingly at his face, a tear streaking down her left cheek. "Please… one last time before…"

Without saying a word, Ben recaptured her lips with his and ran his hands slowly down the lengths of her arms. When he reached the waist of her trousers, he lowered them to her ankles, and in response, Rey kicked off her boots and then threw her pants to the side. Rey frantically began to unfasten his belt and trousers, reaching into his undergarments to free his erection. Lifting her body, Ben placed her legs around his waist to steady her back against the tree and thrust into her with all his strength.

Their movements were messy and hurried, resonating only from pure need. The thick bark itched and scratched against the fabric of her tunic, but Rey didn't care in the slightest. All she cared about was the touch of Ben's hands on her body, the feeling of his cock buried deep inside her, and the overwhelming sensation building between her legs.

"Rey, fuck, you feel so good. I'm not going to last long," Ben grunted against her shoulder, his teeth grazing the skin of her neck. "Come with me, my little scavenger."

"I'm right there," Rey breathed out, rubbing her clit furiously against his body, her legs hooked behind his back. "Oh, kriff, yes…"

Rey came undone at the seams, her back arching off the surface of the tree. Ben slumped against her as he too met his release. Rey pulled him taut against her body in desperation, not ever wanting to let him go.

Still connected as one being, the couple held onto each other, lamenting the enormous task that lay before them the next day. After several minutes, they loved each other one last time before returning to the party and their awaiting destiny.

~.~

The attack began well after noon the next day.

The First Order Dreadnought appeared in the sky of Endor only seconds before the cannon fire commenced. The X-wing squadron led by Poe took to the sky immediately, firing all they had onto the massive starship. TIE-fighters emerged from the dreadnought to challenge them, sending several starships spiralling like meteors to the forest floor below. Ground troops, Resistance and Ewok alike, readied themselves on the savannas surrounding Bright Tree Village as well as in the canopy of trees to ambush any stormtroopers who tried to use the forest as cover.

Peekpa, the master hacker, was busy at work in her underground bunker, attempting to deactivate the First Order's shields. Once the shields were down, she would focus her attention on sending out electrostatic signals to the stormtroopers' blasters. Peekpa hoped the signals would jam their rifles, keeping them from firing at any target. Finn accompanied her along with Rose. Peekpa had promised that she would help him tap into the stormtroopers' communication devices within their helmets, so that Finn could relay a message to them. He was hopeful that he could convince them to turn themselves over to the Resistance and be granted clemency just as he had many months ago.

Rey stood in the forest, her blaster in her hand, her lightsaber resting on her belt. Ben was positioned beside her, armed with a blaster and his saber as well. Chewbacca and Han Solo were perched opposite them several yards away, carefully watching the woods for any sign of approach. Other fighters were also scattered there among them in the midst of the forest.

Suddenly, shots rang out in the distance. The throng, including Rey, instantly took cover behind the massive redwood trees to shield themselves from the incoming blaster fire. Ben grabbed Rey in desperation.

"Stay here. I'll come back for you." Ben's words gave Rey an overwhelming feeling of deja vu as he kissed her hard on her forehead.

"Ben, where are you going?" Rey screamed at him, not wanting to let him out of her sight. He took off running through the woods away from her. "Ben!"

"I'll come back for you, sweetheart. I promise," his voice called back to her as he left her alone against the tree.

Rey's vision from Takodana had finally caught up with her. She angrily huffed at the fact that Ben had abandoned their post, but nonetheless held the blaster to her chest, took a deep breath, and then returned fire to the approaching stormtroopers. There was nothing she could do now but fight.

A stormtrooper came up from behind Rey and grabbed her by the neck, pinning her against a nearby redwood tree. Anger flared in her veins, and she firmly kicked him right between the legs, sending him flailing onto the ground. Realizing that the trooper had dropped his weapon, she quickly belted her blaster and took the rifle into her hands. She confidently stepped out from behind the massive tree and began firing at every stormtrooper her hazel eyes could see in the forest. They toppled like toy soldiers to the ground as the shots from her commandeered rifle sent them to meet the Maker.

Han Solo and Chewbacca stood in amazement as the last stormtrooper fell to the forest floor. Rey look down at the rifle in her hands, not fully believing what she had just done. She heard Chewbacca growl something she didn't quite understand in Shyriiwook.

"You can't just call a lady a badass nowadays, Chewie," Han remarked, turning to his hairy friend and then back to Rey. "They might take offense, but I must say - that _was_ pretty badass, kid."

Rey smiled and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "No offense taken. I rather like it actually and this rifle too. Thank you, Chewie!"

"No problem," he called back to her in a howl. "Let's go help the others."

"Gladly," Rey said as they hurried out of the forest into the clearing of the savanna.

As their feet stepped onto the grass, the trio of fighters flanked by the survivors of the ambush suddenly halted their steps. Looking skyward, Rey noticed the massive dreadnought in the sky was ablaze, explosions sending chunks of debris raining down through the atmosphere.

Rey let out a sigh in relief. Peekpa had succeed in disabling the shields. All they needed to worry about now was the remaining TIE-fighters and stormtroopers on the ground.

Across the field of the grassland, a band of stormtroopers began to draw near to their position, coming closer with every passing second. Rey stood her ground, preparing for the fight. The other fighters around her followed suit. They were thoroughly outnumbered almost ten to one; they were utterly doomed. She knew that their blaster rifles might not work for much longer if Peekpa proved successful in jamming them with the signal. She desperately prayed it would be sooner rather than later. Rey was prepared to use her Force powers if necessary, but hopefully Finn would be able to convince the stormtroopers to surrender and there would be no need for it.

As she stood there, pointing her stolen rifle straight ahead, Rey wondered where in the holy name of the Jedi Ben could possibly be. He had promised that he would come back for her, and he damn well better keep that promise. She knew she would sense it instantly through their connection if something happened to him.

Unexpectedly, the advancing troops came to a halt. Silence levitated in the air across the savanna on both sides of the imminent battle for several agonizing seconds.

Rey watched carefully through squinted eyes, her breath quickening in pace, her heart racing in her chest.

"Take care of my son, Rey," Han Solo said in a low voice behind her. "Here goes nothing."

With those last words, Han let out the first round of blaster fire, charging toward the army of stormtroopers ahead of him.

Rey's heart sank, but steeled herself before rushing out onto the field behind him. She let out a feral growl from deep within her chest wanting nothing more for the fields to be bathed in red with blood - First Order blood.

The oncoming fight ensued upon the savanna, the Resistance taking many losses, but also making some gains as the others took down several troopers. Rey was able to use her Force powers to surrender numerous First Order soldiers unconscious, granting them mercy while firing her blaster at others. After taking down a few dozen, she was relieved when she peered across the field to see Han and Chewbacca still standing strong and fully immersed in the battle.

Without warning, a rumbling began to shake the battlefield of the savanna, causing Rey to steady herself with outstretched hands. She whirled around, only to see the redwood trees part and several giant creatures emerge from behind them. The creatures were enormous, similar in build to a Wookiee, covered in black fur, their faces rather human-like with large, pointy ears. Their mouths were crammed full of razor-like fangs, their hands tipped with sharp, jagged claws.

"The Gorax!" Han exclaimed, grabbing Rey and pulling her safely toward cover. Chewbacca and the other fighters soon joined them on the edge of the field.

Rey's mouth stood agape as the giant creatures swept into the battle and gathered up the stormtroopers into their hands like ragdolls, flinging them effortlessly into the air farther than her hazel eyes could detect. Others uprooted nearby trees and used the broad trunks like brooms, whisking the troopers carelessly to the side like specks of dirt. The First Order soldiers didn't stand a chance against them and instantly panicked, scattering in every direction.

When all of the enemy fighters had been vanquished from the battlefield, the largest of the Gorax, possibly the leader, lowered his head down toward the grass. Rey noticed a dark figure on the creature's back as it slid off and landed perfectly on both of its legs.

It was Ben.

"Thank you, Gunto." Ben bowed in front of the Gorax, and they mirrored his gesture. "We are indebted to you for your assistance today."

In unison, the Gorax let out a bellowing growl in response, turning and heading back toward their home within the mountains of the Endorian moon. It took only seconds for their towering bodies to absorb behind the redwood trees.

Ben pivoted back toward the Resistance fighters, and immediately his brown eyes fell upon Rey. She ran onto the battlefield and rushed toward him, letting her stormtrooper rifle fall to the ground. As she reached him, Ben swooped her up into his arms, spinning her around, before setting her down on the grass.

"I told you I come back for you, sweetheart," Ben whispered softly in her ear, making a smile from on Rey's lips.

"How in the hell did you convince them to help us?" Han questioned his son as he met them on the savanna. "They're savage beasts who feast on Ewok for breakfast."

"Well, this is their home too." Ben looked down at her, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear. "They want to protect it just as much as the Ewoks do."

"That was amazing!" Finn came running up to them with Rose and Poe in tow, seemingly out of nowhere. "Utterly terrifying, but amazing!"

"Ren!" The heated voice soared across the field, causing them all to freeze. Rey knew instantly to whom the voice belonged without even having to look.

It was Hux.

Ben spun around, igniting his lightsaber instantly, the green plasma humming as it came in contact with the particles in the air. Rey grabbed ahold of his arm, but he shrugged it off. This was the moment she had dreaded their entire time on the moon of Endor.

"We meet again, Ren." Hux stalked toward Ben, his dark boots brushing through the short grass. His words had a pompous air to them. "I see your father is back from the dead. It's a pity your mother couldn't join us as well."

Rey could feel Ben's blood begin to boil under his skin. Ben gripped his lightsaber tighter in his hands, anger flaring in his nostrils. He repositioned his feet and held his arms in a fighting stance. Rey stayed at a safe distance, feeling Ben's need for her to let him handle Hux on his own. Han and Finn rushed over to her side, pulling her back further toward the canopy of the forest. The other fighters, including Poe, Rose, and Chewbacca, followed closely behind them.

"Oh, by the way, thought you might want this back," Hux scoffed, revealing a black, round object from behind his back. He held the object up to his face as if to examine it. "It is of no use to me anymore."

Hux heftily tossed the object onto the ground, and it rolled several yards, coming to rest right at Ben's feet, the front facing him. Rey gasped as she recognized it; it was the mask of Kylo Ren. As he stared down at the mask that once belonged to his dark persona, Ben's body immediately shook, his mind beginning to fight the pull to the Dark. Killing his saber, he knelt down in the grass and retrieved the bulky helmet into his palms.

"No!" Rey shouted behind him, almost rushing toward him, but Finn held her back. Her tears instantly overran her hazel eyes.

"He's got this, Rey," Finn assuringly whispered into her ear. "He can do it."

Rey nodded, knowing deep in her heart that Ben was strong. He would be able to resist the lull of the Dark. Still, it didn't help that he was now facing his most loathed enemy, the man responsible for his mother's death.

"You know, it's funny." Ben nervously chuckled and stood, still holding the mask in his hands. "I used to hide behind this mask, used to think it made me stronger because no one could see who was behind it. All along it was just hiding an angry, lonely boy, a boy who thought everyone had abandoned him, a boy who thought no one loved or cared for him. But now that boy knows that he was wrong. Dead wrong."

Ben looked back at Rey, smiling. Rey mirrored his smile, reassuring him with a nod. Turning back toward Hux, Ben violently flung the helmet to the side. It landed with a thud several yards away.

"I have no use for it either," Ben said resolutely and rekindled his lightsaber, stomping his right foot in the grass. The green glow of the blade reflected off his brown eyes, making them almost appear hazel. "I'm no longer Kylo Ren. I'm Ben Solo. It's who I was always meant to be."

"Nice speech, Ren," Hux haughtily noted, pulling his blaster from his belt. His lips morphed into a evil grin. "I don't give a damn who you are or _were_. I just know that you are standing in the way of my victory, and when I've snuffed you out, your pretty little girlfriend is next."

Anger surging through his veins, Ben held up his saber and charged toward the Supreme Leader, who immediately dodged the incoming swing of the laser sword. Ben gritted his teeth, breathing heavily, and stormed toward Hux once more, but he swiftly moved out of the way.

"Let's face it, Ren," Hux taunted him. "You brought a lightsaber to a blaster fight. Should I shoot you now or just let you keep taking swings at me until you're too exhausted and shoot you then?"

Ben let out a fiery growl and rushed toward Hux, thrusting his lightsaber one last time at the arrogant Supreme Leader, only to feel the pain of blaster fire hit him right in the chest. Rey watched Ben fall to the ground as if he were moving in slow motion, his hands gripping the wound that now branded his torso.

Hux stood eerily still, staring down at Ben, and then glanced back at his blaster pistol almost as if he were in shock.

"Ben!" Rey screamed, breaking free of Finn's arms, and ran toward him. She slid on her knees in the grass as she reached him, and his body fell forward into her embrace.

"Hey, ginger asshole!" A familiar voice called from behind Hux. "That's my son!"

Rey looked up from Ben, her tears streaming down her cheeks, only to see Han Solo standing in front of her, his blaster pointed right at Hux. The red-headed Supreme Leader confusedly whipped around, just as Han fired his blaster straight at him, blowing a hole right through his head at such close range. Hux teetered backward, landing with a loud, heavy thump amongst the silence that now hovered over the grassland. Wispy smoke rose in rivulets from the gaping wound on his forehead.

The Supreme Leader was dead.

Han instantly turned his attention to Ben, who was now cradled in Rey's arms beside Hux's lifeless body.

"It's okay, son," he called to Ben as he knelt down, placing a hand on his forehead. "You're going to make it. Can you heal him, Rey?"

"Yes." Rey shook her head and furiously wiped away her tears. She smiled down at the man who she loved with everything that she had. "I'm sorry, Ben. This may hurt a little."

Pressing her right palm steadily to his wound, Rey closed her hazel eyes and imagined Ben's body healing itself from within. Her mind became so transfixed on his wound that she went into another trancelike state the same as she had with Rose. She saw the island on Ahco-To, the island where she had helped Ben come back to the Light. Rey saw the moment his _Silencer_ crashed on the beach, the moment they had their first kiss in the dark cave, the moment they danced at the Lanai celebration, the moment they first gave their bodies to each other. The last memory that etched itself across her purview was the moment he told her that he loved her. She remembered how her heart had sang at those three little words. It had been the first time anyone had said them to her in her entire life.

Ben then took in a sharp breath, waking Rey from her spell. Opening her eyes, Rey peered down at the man she loved, and he immediately embraced her, wrapping his arms around her in utter happiness. He pulled back from her and kissed her fiercely, cupping the sides of her face with both of his hands.

"Okay, okay, enough of that." Han held up a dismissive hand, still kneeling beside them.

Ben let go of Rey and then turned to his father.

"Thank you."

"It was nothing," Han replied, patting his son's left shoulder. "Just doing what I should've done a long time ago - saving my son."

Ben came onto his knees and threw his arms around his father, who instantaneously returned his hug. Rey stood as she watched Ben and his father embrace, her eyes refusing to stay dry at the sight they beheld. She felt a hand on her right shoulder and spun around only to have Finn and Poe squeeze her into a group hug. The trio held each other there for several lingering moments before Poe said the most triumphant words Rey had ever heard.

"The war is over."

~.~

The celebration was in full swing in the town of Bright Tree Village that same evening. The Ewoks had prepared numerous native dishes and beverages for the victorious members of the Resistance to enjoy. The inhabitants of the Forest Moon of Endor were ever so thankful to the fighters for their assistance in defending their home against destruction, just as they were after the first Battle of Endor during the time of the Galactic Empire's reign. Many Ewoks merrily played music and danced around the myriad of bonfires that dotted the village. Many of the Resistance members, including Chewbacca, Finn, and Rose, joined them, drinking and prancing around the fires as well.

Rey looked down on the lively celebration from a landing beside one of the numerous wooden bridges that weaved through the trees overhead. She was dressed in a gorgeous lavender gown that flowed flatteringly about her body, similar to the one in Ben's vision from the dark cave on Ahch-To. The dress had been a gift from one of the female Ewoks, who had made the fine garment herself just for Rey.

Smiling, Rey fingered the silvery necklace around her neck which held Ben's promise ring. She sighed, the ultimate feeling of relief streaming through her body. The war was now over, and they had succeeded. Of course, First Order sympathizers would inevitably come out of the woodwork in the days and weeks to follow, but she tried not to think about that right now. She was too overcome with joy to let those daunting thoughts rain on her parade.

Something else plagued her, though, as Rey's eyes watched the festivities from her perch in the canopy of the trees. A small tingle had started to creep through her body within minutes of their victory on the savanna of Endor. It was getting stronger with every passing second, almost making her dizzy. She steadied herself on a nearby post, hoping desperately that the feeling would subside. Maybe she would have a medical droid examine her the next morning.

"Not enjoying the party, are we?" Ben asked, snaking his arms around her waist from behind. He whispered low into her ear, "Thank you for saving my life by the way."

"You're welcome." Rey pivoted her body to face him and coiled her arms around his neck. They stood there holding each other in silence for several minutes, staring lovingly into each other's eyes.

"My offer still stands," Ben said, a soft smile etching across his face. He reached up and held the oval-shaped ring from her necklace in his right hand. "If you'll have me."

"Of course, I will." Rey grinned up at him.

Letting go of her, Ben unhooked the chain from around her neck and slid off the ring into his right hand. He knelt down and took her left hand into his.

"Rey, will you marry me?" Ben sweetly said, a crooked smile forming on his lips.

"Yes," Rey replied, her heart bursting with love for the man kneeling in front of her.

Ben then placed his mother's golden ring onto her left hand. It fit her ring finger perfectly as if it had been waiting for her all this time.

Unexpectedly, a rush of lightheadedness cascaded through her being. She bent over at the waist, gripping her abdomen.

"Rey," he said, holding her shoulders in concern. "Is everything okay? Are you hurt?"

Instead of speaking, she sent him the sensation through their bond.

"No way," Ben whispered. He quickly pressed one of his hands to her waist. "Send it to me again."

"What is it?" Rey questioned, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Do you know what's wrong… Ben, what are you doing?"

Ben was now on his knees, his ear placed firmly to her abdomen. He stood, gathering her hands into his, and kissed them sweetly. Rey could feel sheer elation beaming from him through their connection.

"You've just made me the happiest man in the galaxy." Moisture began to rim his brown eyes.

"What - oh." Rey then realized why Ben was filled with so much joy.

She was pregnant with his child. The feeling was overwhelming to say the least. It was something that she had wanted so desperately for most of her life - a family of her own. Now, it was a reality; the notion made her incessantly happy, yet terrified her at the same time.

"You don't have to be afraid, sweetheart," Ben assured her, taking her into his arms. He had sensed her uneasiness through their bond. "I'll be right here every step of the way."

As he held her there, Rey began to feel the Force encircling them like a pair of arms, embracing them in sense of serenity and balance.

Suddenly, Ben pulled back from her and turned his head toward his left. Rey saw it too.

Beside them, only yards away, stood his mother Leia and his uncle Luke, blue auras surrounding their beings.

Somehow, Rey knew that everything was going to be alright; they had come so far in their journey together. Nothing could hold them back from the happiness they so deserved.

Luke and Leia smiled one last time as if to bid them a final farewell and then slowly faded from view.

Rey and Ben embraced again, intently staring up at the night sky above, as colorful fireworks lit up the darkness that covered the heavens. Rey knew in that moment that the Light would always be there to guide their way through the Dark. All that they lost had come back to them tenfold.

 **A/N: It was such a joy to write this chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. I only have the epilogue left to post later this week. If I don't stop typing now, I will start to cry, so until then, thank you so much - for everything. ~Dazzy xxoo**


	15. Chapter 15:Epilogue

**Epilogue**

 _Five Years Later_

"Close your eyes," Rey said as she walked around the perimeter of the large, rectangular room. Her hands rested gently on the oversized bump about her waist covered by the gray fabric of her robes. "Breathe… now, reach out with your feelings. What do you see?"

The two dozen or more young Padawans sat with their legs crossed, their hands positioned on their knees, listening intently to Master Rey Solo's words. She carefully examined each of their sweet faces, both male and female alike, all intently focusing on whatever was pictured inside their mind's eye. As she watched them, Rey smiled, her mind beginning to reflect on how far she and Ben had come to get to this very moment…

Several years ago, Rey and Ben had used Luke Skywalker's star compass to seek out Force-sensitive individuals all across the galaxy. Finding hundreds of them scattered across the universe, the couple had brought them all here, to the planet Yavin 4, the homeworld of Poe Dameron, to train in the ways of the Force.

Over the past two years, the couple had used their knowledge passed down from Luke and Leia to construct a new Jedi temple on the planet. Poe's parents, Shara Bey and Kes Dameron, had planted a fragment of the Great Tree, which had once stood at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, outside their home on Yavin 4. The fragmented tree was Force-sensitive and had been a gift from Luke Skywalker himself. Since then, the tiny tree had flourished, growing massively tall and quite beautiful near the Dameron residence. Ben and Rey felt that this location would prove to be the unrivaled choice for the new temple, the one they hoped would foster the new generation of Jedi knights. Poe's father, Kes Dameron, had gladly granted them the land without question…

Waking from her thoughts, Rey stole a glance at Ben, who stood on the opposite side of the room. He was dressed in his dark gray Jedi robes and black boots, holding their one-year-old daughter, Leia, tightly against his chest. He smirked at his wife as he observed her instruct the young Jedi learners in the ways of the Force. He'd told her once that he loved to watch her lead the Padawans in silent meditation. It was one of his favorite things to do besides reenact "Darth Vader versus Luke Skywalker" with their son, Greyly, who had recently celebrated his fourth birthday.

"Go on, I'll take her." Han Solo crept up behind his son and then held out his hands to invite Little Leia into his arms. Ben willingly handed the small child over to her grandfather, giving her a swift kiss on the cheek.

Once nestled in his embrace, Han smiled down at her hazel eyes. "I think Mommy needs a break, what do you think?"

"Padawans!" Master Ben Solo stepped onto the floor of the temple, clapping his large hands. "It is sparring time!"

The students immediately came onto their feet, excitedly grabbing their practice staffs from the hooks on the walls, and paired off to perform their sparring exercises for the day.

Ben stalked over to his very pregnant wife and encircled her with his arms.

"How are you feeling?" Ben asked, kissing her sweetly on the forehead.

"I've been better and _smaller_ ," Rey scoffed, brushing her lips desirously against his.

"Careful now, my little scavenger," he joked, tucking the hair back from her face. "We're in a sacred temple."

"Says the man who once basically - what was the word again - _worshipped_ me in the first Jedi temple on Ahch-To." Rey leered at him and tightened her arms around his neck.

"You got me there." Ben smiled down at her before capturing her lips passionately with his.

"I love you." Rey sighed against him when he pulled away.

"I know," he simply replied and pressed his forehead to hers.

They both held each other, their eyes trailing across the room at the young learners who were busy sparring their opponents. Rey then looked over at her father-in-law, Han Solo, who had placed Little Leia down on the wooden floor. Rey's stomach flipped when her daughter pulled herself onto her tiny feet and took several wobbly steps across the floor back toward her grandfather.

As Little Leia teetered toward him, Han, dressed in his faded, brown leather jacket, placed his hands on his hips and peered down at his granddaughter, pride beaming from the smile that etched across his face.

 **THE END**

 **A/N: Thank you to everyone who had read, added kudos, or commented on this story. I've loved every single minute writing this fic and reading your thoughts. I hope we at least get a glimpse of something like this is Ep. IX, but only time will tell. Again, I'm eternally grateful for all of you. It's been such a wonderful ride. And btw, I should be posting the first chapter of my next Reylo fic, which will be a modern AU, starting this weekend. Hope you'll check it out! Love always. ~Dazzy xxoo**


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